The Odds Were Never in Your Favour
by Rosalee Blythe
Summary: Cameron Ann Morgan and her friends have a lot more to battle than just the hunger games.One friend will uncover a system of fear the capital is running. But the hunger games aren't the only games being played. Love can mess up the best, the strongest people. Which will kill them first their love or the games being played on them?
1. Prologue

There is only one thing certain in life. Who-ever you are, where-ever you're from. Regardless of your race, or sexuality, or wealth. We all share the same certainty. And that is that life, our lives will end. Whether you save lives or take them, we all end up the same. Dead. And that is why Cameron Ann Morgan found it so difficult to be optimistic about her own life.

Sure, her own life wasn't awful. But it wasn't exactly… inspiring. Her life was planned, her path was set. she was to follow her mother into a world of healing that she wasn't sure she was best suited for. To live her days helping the people as poor as she was. Until she died surrounded by children who would follow the same again. This isn't a life Cammie wanted but the alternative was brutal.

Cammie resided in district 12, home of the miners. And as a citizen of district 12 every year from the ages of 12 to 18 Cammie was automatically entered into 'The Hunger Games' a battle between 24 children from the 12 districts of Gallagher that created 1 victor and 23 coffins every year. For 4 years Cammie had avoided that glory, watching others, some she knew, one she loved, destroyed by the games.

Cammie knew that death was certain, she knew it was an inevitability. And although she knew the life she would eventually lead would be dull, and poverty fuelled. She prayed that her own death would not be in that arena.

...

 _This is a Hunger games Gallagher Girls cross over. I started working on this 3 years ago and began posting it prematurely. Now that I feel it is ready it is back. Of course as a writer I hope you like this story. But every person has a different percpective which I respect so incase you didn't enjoy this thank you for taking the time to read. This will be my one and only authors note so Thank You and I hope you will enjoy this story as much as I did writing it._

 _Rosalee Blythe x_


	2. The Sun Will Rise Again

By the time the Cammie had awoken on the crisp April morning, the sun was already high in the sky. She lay there savouring the last few moments of peace before the day would start before she realised how late it must already be. She panicked quickly for her sister Prim who's constant early rising also raised Cammie, before realising that Prim must off left the bed for their mothers. A habit she had developed from a young age whenever nightmares ruled her nights. If Prim was going to have a nightmare, that night would be the time. Cammie had been the same her first year.

Cammie rose, stiffly stretching her sore limbs and slipping on her day clothes of well-worn trousers a loose-fitting shirt and more importantly, her hunting boots. Slipping through the door she found her mother and sister no-where to be found. It wasn't rare for them not to be home, her mother worked incessantly and Prim often accompanied her. Illness doesn't stop, whatever day it may be.

The two-roomed house wasn't silent however a soft purring was creeping across the room, Cammie watched the creature darkly as it stopped and turned it's purring to a sharp hiss. Butter-cup, apart from being the world's ugliest cat, was Cammie's only enemy. The cat, clearly unhappy that Cammie wasn't Prim, laid down still hissing darkly at the young women. Cammie slowly raised her boot over the creature's head.

"Nobody would know, Sae would buy you for meat."

She sighed replacing her foot onto the floor. Grabbing her satchel from a loose hook on the wall she marched out the house, only to nearly collide with a tall dark figure leaning against the house.

"Watch yourself Cammie"

"I thought you would have gone without me"

"And miss talking to you. Never"

Cammie and Zack fell into step together, heading towards the security fence. A comfortable silence falling over the pair of hunters.

"why were you so late"

"I overslept"

"seriously, I couldn't sleep last night, I was so worried about today"

"There's no point worrying Zack, if we're reaped, we're reaped. We can't change anything now"

"That doesn't make it okay" Zack muttered darkly as he lifted the fence for Cammie to duck under before following himself

"I didn't say it was okay, I said we couldn't change it"

They carried on walking in silence, each retrieving their weapons from a small mound of wood they had set when they started hunting together. Cammie's bow and arrow had been hand crafted by her father, highly illegally of course, but incredibly skilfully. Even now with the callused wood laying heavy in her palm Cammie still felt her father's warm hand wrapped around her own, guiding her.

They kept walking till they hit a clearing that gave them a perfect view of the lake bellow. A place all animals gathered. Zack sat down followed by Cammie.

"guess what I found" Zack winked at Cammie, pulling a small loaf of bread out of his satchel. Cammie smiled

"How much did it cost you to find?"

"Just a squirrel, old man's getting sentimental. Even wished me luck"

"wow, well I managed to salvage some of Prims first attempt at goat's cheese" They looked at the small fabric wrapped bundle warily but spread in thick onto the warm bread anyway enjoying their breakfast feast.

"We could do it you know" Zack said through a mouthful of bread and cheese

"what?"

"We could run away, leave all of this behind, start a new life…"

"Amongst the wild dogs of the district 12 woods" Cammie laughed

"I was being serious Cam"

"I know but we can't leave Zack" Cammie smiled sadly at him. She knew Zack wasn't serious, his two younger brothers tied him to the district. Like Cammie he provided 90% of the food in his house. Leaving would forever be a dream.

"I don't feel like hunting" Cammie often wondered if Zack ever felt like hunting, the hard act, was just that, an act. Killing would never be an easy choice for him, whereas Cammie felt like it had become a part of her, so much so that she would be lost without it.

"what do you want to do then?"

"Swim" Cammie laughed but Zack smirking, stripped of his top and ran down the hill diving into the cool water. She watched him for a minute before tying their satchels to a tree and running in after him.

Their morning was perfect. Games of dunking and splashing. For once acting like the children they should be. Eventually the games turned to spear fishing but with knives. The competition was close, their hands bloody, but they now had more fish than they could eat alone. And the truth of the day was drawing close again. They lay shoulder to shoulder on the bank of the river, holding weapons to protect from any predators near-by.

"I'm 18 Cam" Cammie turned her head towards his.

"If I make it through today I'm free"

"You will make it through"

"my name's in there a lot this year Cam"

"but you're not alone in having your name entered a lot Zack, It won't be you"

"Or you"

"And tomorrow"

"The sun will rise again"

"As it always does"

It was a saying they repeated every year. Each new day brings new hope, and new days will always come. Hope is always there as long as you take the time to find it. They each felt calmed by the thought and took a leisurely stroll back to the fence.

"What should we do with the fish?" the normal buyers weren't interested with the districts poor example of fish.

"Sae'll still take it"

"yeah, fancy yesterday's wild dog stew"

"No, you go I've got somewhere to be"

"Do you want to take a fish to this special place"

"I'll take two" Zack smiled passing two of the fish to Cam, he kissed her cheek and walked towards the market. Cammie took the time to watch him leave before spinning to the left and heading to the victor's village.

District 12 had two victors. Haymitch Abernathy a drunk recluse winner of the 50th games, and Rebecca Baxter winner of the more recent 72nd games and a close friend of Cammie's. The rich tall houses of the village loomed empty except from two adjacent houses in the middle. Cammie was used to living crammed in a room of 3 people and often wondered what it was like living in such a giant house alone. Quiet.

Reaching the desired house Cammie knocked sharply hiding the fish behind her back smiling. The door eased open a heavy-lidded eye popping into sight. It blinked in recognition opening the door further to reveal the tired figure of Bex shielding her eyes from the day light out-side.

"Hey Cam"

"Bex, were you asleep" Bex stared at her for a moment before slowly replying

"No, what's that smell?" Cammie's smile grew producing the fish from behind her back, she expected Bex to smile back but instead she gagged

"Jesus Cam, what happened to squirrel"

"Nope, only fish today, want one" Bex stared at the fish in front of her rather than the face of her friend. She looked awful. Her eyes heavy lidded, and lined by purple bangs, spots that had broken out on her face in angry red clusters, her hair knotted and greasy nail varnish chipped.

"Bex?" They victor rubbed her eyes tiredly. The months away from the capital allowed her to grow into the mess she stood as, in hours it would be gone and she would shine once more.

"No, no" Cammie knew her friend, or she did before her games. But Bex changed, she drank, and took drugs and hid herself from the people she once loved. Cammie had refused to leave but still sometimes felt like she had outstayed her welcome. Bex on the other hand still knew Cammie like the back of her hand.

"why are you nervous" Bex asked, Cammie taken aback nearly dropped her fish

"Reaping day"

"You don't need to worry though Cam, you'll be fine" Bex smiled and promptly shut the door.

Cammie believed her words and thought about them as she headed back home to use the fish for their reaping day lunch. She repeated the mantra in her head

"The sun will rise again"


	3. Truth or Lie

The house felt empty as Cammie walked in. Her sister had been pulling further away in the days leading to the reaping and wasn't in the front room of the house. Her mother looked up from the pot she was stirring smiling at her oldest daughter.

"fish? That'll be perfect in this potato stew" Cammie knew that her mother was lying. Potato stew wasn't desirable, neither were the fish she held. But it was change from the small amount of meat they sometimes ate, when Cammie had enough to spare. And as the fish were large in size it meant a decent portion each. Part of Cammie was relieved that Bex had declined the offer off a fish.

"And for desert…" Cammie's mother pointed to a tray of pastry heating next to the pan of stew.

"pie?" Cammie questioned

"Apple and Blackberry" Racheal added. Pastry was a rare treat in the Morgan house, but the apples which didn't commonly grow in district 12 were a surprise. The Blackberry's Cammie had collected the day before. Cammie smiled at her mother, excited for the prospect of the sweet desert.

"Sounds delicious, where's Prim?" Rachael pointed to the door which lead to the bedroom

"She said she was doing her hair, wouldn't let me help." Cam nodded and walked to the door opening it to reveal Prim on the bed, her hair was half up, but it was messy as if she had finished and then displeased with the result started pulling it back out again. Prim looked up to the doorway smiling softly at her older sister though her eyes were wet with tears.

"Prim" Cammie walked to the young girl embracing her into a hug.

"It's okay"

Prim sniffed slightly and nodded against Cammie's shoulder. A moment later they both pulled away Prim leant forward on the bed retrieving the hair brush and passing it to her sister. Cammie smiled and began to take the metal pins out of her sister's hair before brushing it gently.

"It's okay to be nervous Prim"

"No, it isn't, you're not"

"Of course, I am. I'd be more scared if I wasn't"

"why?"

"If you're not nervous then it's already too late."

"What do you mean" Cammie stopped braiding her sister's hair and turned on her shoulders so that they were facing each other

"It would mean that you've already accepted your fate and you wouldn't fight."

"And if you don't fight, you die"

Cammie nodded. Prim was too young to be having this conversation, a tender 12 she was slight and blonde with blue eyes. She looked free and innocent, but she never had the chance, their father's death and the intense poverty that followed had torn away her innocence. Now on her first reaping day Cammie realised that it was impossible to grow up innocent when at the age of 12 you may get sent to your death.

"But that's not what I'm nervous about" Prim continued "Of course I'll fight if I have too, but I'm scared of you being reaped or Zack. My names only in there once but you both have tesserae the jars are full of your names"

"Prim, the amount of kids that live in 12 and take tesserae. We're not going to get reaped"

"You don't know that"

"But I believe it" Cammie sighed finishing plaiting her sister's hair and flicking one playfully. Prim stood smoothing down the skirt that had once been 12-year-old Cammie's reaping day skirt.

"Mums made lunch, there's pie for desert" Prim smiled and quickly left the room. Cammie stripped of her own clothes and walked to the basin of water Prim had left behind, using it to scrub the dirt from her body. When she was done she walked over to the bed and took in the blue dress laying there waiting for her. It was one of her mother's, it was beautiful. Cammie stared at it suddenly laughing at the irony that they were getting dressed up in their best clothes to die, it sounded so ridiculous. Cammie was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice her mother walking into the room behind her.

"Not hungry?" Cammie started, quickly slipping the soft fabric over her head, before turning to her mother smiling.

"Thinking"

"Good I bought you some pie" Cammie's smile grew as she took the piece and bit deeply into it.

"I thought you might like it, if I did your hair like we used to" Cammie swallowed the pie thickly her smile shrinking. Her mother hadn't done her hair since she was her sisters age, since her dad died. Unable to find her voice she nodded sitting on the edge of her bed and eating her pie as her mother carefully brushed her thick hair the same as she just had for Prim.

…

Bex woke suddenly. She sat up in her chair rubbing her eyes trying to gain her bearings. She jumped again as she heard three loud knocks on her door. Groaning she stood and followed the wall to her front door, opening it a crack before seeing who it was pulling it open and walking back into her house and up her stairs.

"Your drunk" She threw behind her as she walked towards the back of the house

"Your high, the cameras are 30 minutes away" Bex opened the door to the furthest room stepped inside and turned to face Haymitch

"and you're wearing that?" Bex muttered shutting the door in his face. She walked towards a closet quickly switching her clothes

"I don't know if you've seen your face recently Baxter but I'm sure the whole of Panem will love it" Haymitch countered opening the door and sitting on the bed as Bex sat in front of a mirror and started blending foundation onto her face.

"Did you come here to insult me or did you actually want something?"

"Yeah, I did, to make sure you were ready after last year's catastrophe" Bex stopped for a moment looking at Haymitch in the mirror before carrying on.

"You're drunk"

"You're high"

"Do you think they actually notice, the capital, or are they all to fucked to notice"

"They're as fucked as we are, they just don't realise"

"Nobody's as fucked as we are Haymitch" Haymitch laughed. One thing he was grateful for was Bex's win. It gave him somebody who understood him, someone he could talk to.

She jumped to her feet hopping as she put her shoes on whilst walking back down the corridor to the stairs. Haymitch followed watching as she nearly fell before stopping suddenly to tie her laces. When they reached the front door, she stopped gripping the handle.

"2 more" Haymitch nodded they stayed there a moment longer before Haymitch realised Bex wasn't going to open the door and placed his hand over hers turning the handle. She turned to face him, her face appearing neutral but pained at the same time. They both winced as the light hit their eyes and walked away from the dark house and onto the road towards a waiting car and camera crew. Haymitch slipped his hand onto Bex's waist. She smiled at him showing her elegant features and dangerous eyes. However beautiful she looked now, it wasn't real. 5 hours ago, she had been a mess but now in her short black dress, ankle boots and sleek pony tail she looked desirable. Unlike Haymitch, Bex had to look a certain way for the capital it was all written in a strict contract she had with the president. Haymitch was a joke to the capital and could stay that way. It was easier knowing that the capital may have destroyed them but it will never get to truly know them. A lie is always easier that the truth.

As they walked closer to the waiting car Bex felt the cameras zoom on her. She turned to them smiling and held her hand up in a wave to the people of the capital as Haymitch's hand left her waist to open the car door, Haymitch unlike Bex keeping his head down where the long hair covered his face. Bex slipped in the car gracefully and waited as Haymitch shut the door and got in the other side. The car instantly pulled away, leaving the cameras behind. Bex sighed loudly throwing her head back onto the headrest, Haymitch laughed at her.

"I won the hunger games by killing people, but now they want me to be the exact opposite"

"no, they don't"

"so why do I have to smile and wave all the time"

"Because they like the danger, they never know when you'll switch back into the crazed murderer"

Bex looked at him disgust written across her features, before turning back to the window. She knew he was right, there were many capital citizens who only liked her because of the danger. They only wanted to break her down. They disgusted her. Focusing out of the window as they grew closer to the square Bex watched as the district 12 citizens filled into lines of boys and girls between 12 and 18 and adults and children heading to spectate. The children were penned in according to age and gender in front of the stage that the car was drawing behind. The process wasn't dissimilar to an auction that they held in the capital. But auctions were a sale, the reaping was a selection.

Bex and Haymitch left the car and marched up the stairs to the stage as directed by the peacekeepers. The capital and district 1 and 2 citizens who worked to keep the peace in the districts. Bex took her seat at the back of the stage staring out at the rows of people before her searching for the girls age 16 section. Her eyes landed on the distant figure of Cammie, knowing Cammie was looking back at her. She tried to give her a reassuring smile, but her mind flickered back to the 2 years before when Bex had been standing rows in front of where Cammie is now, believing that she would make it through.

…

Cammie tore her eyes away from Bex's as a strange looking woman walked up the stairs and onto the stage.

"Welcome" And that was all it took for Cammie to tune out of the speech and look away from the pictures of war being projected behind the pink haired Capital citizen. She turned her head to see Zack smiling back at her. She returned the gesture and faced the front searching for her sister's head, only to find her staring at the stage avidly. Cammie allowed her eyes to flick back to the stage. The strange women still talking, the same speech as every year before. Next to her sat the two-glass bowls filled with names. The girls bowl contained twenty perfect Cameron Morgan's and one Primrose Morgan. The boys held forty-two Zackary Goodes. The bowls were full of the tiny white papers, what were the chances that they wouldn't be chosen. As her mind wondered even more wondering the chances of her being lucky for a fourth year in a row. Movement on the other side of the stage drew her back. Haymitch was whispering something to Bex whilst she rocked with silent laughter whispering back to him. The laughs stopped being silent when Haymitch snorted loudly. Earning a disapproving look from the women on the stage and a shriek of laughter from Bex. Cammie frowned, she couldn't work out how anything could be funny moments before two children would be selected for death. The peacekeepers seemed to agree as the one to Bex's left raised his baton threateningly. Bex breathed heavily and looked back out to the audience laughter forgotten.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour" It was time, the first name was about to be chosen.

"Ladies first"

Cammie held her breath the fear she had been ignoring hitting her suddenly. The women's long thin fingers reaching inside the bowl for a piece of paper. Cammie couldn't blink as she pulled it out and opened it a smile stretching across her face. Her mouth opens ready to say the name and all Cammie can think over and over again is 'not me, not me, not me' and it wasn't her, it was so much worse.

"Primrose Everdeen"


	4. She's got Spunk

Bex's neutral expression fell into a gasp she didn't make any effort to cover, her eyes darted between Cammie and her sister before finding Zack's pleading eyes locking with hers. But there was nothing she could do. If Prim refused she would be executed and another chosen in her place. All she could do was watch as Primrose Morgan began to walk up the isle next to the other twelve-year-old girls towards the stage. Her hands clenched into fists, her face determined, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Prim"

Bex looked towards the sound finding Cammie being held back by peacekeepers pleading for her sister.

"Prim"

Zack was also being held back by peacekeepers as he struggled to get to the girls. But then something happened that shocked the entire population.

"I volunteer, I volunteer as tribute"

The world went still, even the wind seemed to have stopped blowing in the moment following the announcement. But when the sound came, it was deafening. Prim was screaming for her sister to stop as Cammie walked towards the stage. Zack was fighting to get to Prim managing to grab her and carry her away as she screamed for her sister. Bex's eyes felt stuck, like she couldn't focus as she stared helplessly out. Cammie didn't stop. She marched up the stairs angrily but shakily, like it hadn't sunk in. Prim's screams were getting quieter and more distant but Zack had returned to his place in the crowd, and Macey, the women from the capital was complaining about procedure.

"What does it matter, she's here now" Bex turned to look at the mayor. He was right 'what does it matter'. Nobody had volunteered in twelve at least as long as Bex could remember. But it wasn't a celebration, the faces of the people were sombre as they watched the scene unfold.

"Well this is a treat, what's your name" Macey asked. Cammie looked out into the crowd, her vision set but her voice seemed thick as she replied.

"Cameron Morgan"

""I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!"

Nobody clapped. Bex had again found Zack's eyes and the reality of what was happening came crashing down onto her as he lifted his left hand kissed his three middle fingers and raised his hand into a silent salute. The rest of the district followed each person raising their hands. The salute meant goodbye, the district were saying goodbye but Bex couldn't do that. She snapped back to where she was and turned to Haymitch who was watching the audience avidly. She grabbed his arm her eyes filled with fear and fury.

"No, no this can't happen"

Haymitch grabbed her hand and looked back to Cammie trying not to shake on the stage. Before turning back to Bex on the verge of breaking down.

"Go"

"What?"

"I'll distract them go, get away from the cameras. I'll be there in a minute"

Haymitch although already drunk played it bigger staggering across the stage

"Look at her. I like her!" He wraps an arm around Cammie's shoulders who shrinks away in disgust.

"She's got… spunk" he points at the camera. "More than you"

"What the hell" Bex muttered how was riling up the capital going to help. And with that thought Haymitch fell over his own feet right of the edge of the stage. Bex realised that was her opportunity to leave and ran down the steps at the back of the stage rushing past the mayor who barely seemed to notice and into the justice building. A peacekeeper standing in the door way turns and tells her she should be on stage, but she ignores him instead walking into the holding room for herself and Haymitch before sinking on the floor praying that Zack wouldn't be next.

…

Cammie watched as an unconscious Haymitch was carried away. She ignores Macey as the women tries to bring some order back to the people of twelve. Thinking back to what Zack said as he dragged her sister away. 'up you go Cam. Don't forget to smile' He knew she would volunteer from the moment Prim's name was called. Smile though, why would she smile. She was going to die. Her eyes searched through the crowd finding Zack's perfect green pupils staring back at her, a smile stretched across his face. She smiled back at him. It would be okay Zack would look after Prim and her mother. It would be okay. As long as he wasn't chosen as well.

"Peeta Mellark"

Cammie watched as Zack's shoulders dropped slightly in relief, but hers stiffened more when she recognised the young man walking stiffly towards the stage. He was the same age as her. With ashy blonde hair not dissimilar from Prims. He wasn't from the seam like her. He was a merchant, the baker's son. She had spoken to him once, years ago and hoped he didn't remember their brief interaction in her darkest days. Starvation in the seam was common, although it was never the official cause of death. Men injured in the mines would stagger from street to street before being found stiff and cold.

Cammie's father had died before she had turned twelve and there was nothing she could do except pray that they would make it to her birthday when she could get tesserae. But in the cold of the winter they were slowly starving to death. Her seven-year-old sister with hollow pale cheeks, their bones jutting against the thin skin. Damp wood providing little warmth in their small home. That day she had been trying to sell Prims old baby clothes but there had been nobody to buy them, she couldn't go home and face her starving family again. Her mother already half dead. She walked further into the town stopping as she came across the bakers where the warmth and smell captivated her, until she heard shouting from the door. The baker's wife warning her to move on before she called the peacekeepers. So, Cammie did she had no choice. There was nothing for her there.

She noticed him, standing behind his mother. He was in her year at school but she didn't know him. He was a town kid their paths didn't cross. Cammie had felt too weak to go home and sunk down opposite their pig pen. Waiting for death to take her then, in the cold and the rain alone. Eventually there was more yelling and Peeta was thrown from the door with two burned loaves of bread. He began ripping one and feeding to the pigs but when the door closed he looked straight at her and threw her the second loaf of bread. He turned quickly to go back in the house as Cammie noticed the redness of one cheek. Had his mother hit him? She hadn't stayed long enough to think before hurrying home with the loaf of bread to give her family the first food they had in three days. It had never occurred to Cammie that Peeta had dropped the loaves in the fire in order to give them to her. By the time she did to many years had passed and she rarely saw Peeta. But now as the mayor told them to shake hands, she couldn't shake the feeling that she owed him as they turned and walked away from the stage and closer to their certain death. All she could do was pray somebody would kill him before she would have to. As the peacekeepers marched them towards the justice building.

…

Bex sat in the corner of the room watching Haymitch sleeping on the sofa opposite. She had her knees pressed up against her, resting her chin on the top. Turning her gaze from the older man she looked at district two's reaping on the TV screen. A strong 16-year-old volunteered in place of a younger boy. Cato. His act of volunteering meant nothing to the citizens of district two. Not like Cammie. The odds were high for Cato to return to district two as a victor. Cammie's volunteering was the equivalent of signing her own death sentence. She heard shuffling from the sofa but didn't bother to turn to Haymitch as he awoke instead staring blankly at the district 3 reaping that had begun to play.

"What happened" Bex slowly turned to look at him, lifting her chin from her knees and stretching her legs in front of her.

"You threw yourself of the stage so that I could have a breakdown in private"

"That was nice of me"

Bex smiled. Haymitch may be a troubled victor with a dark past who relies on alcohol to get through but so was she. He was just more experienced.

"That girl, she's the one that comes to your house. Brings you the food?"

"Yeah"

"She hunts?"

"Yeah"

"You're friends?" Bex looks at him hard and shakes her head

"we were more than that, sisters. But after my games, and what happened. I pushed away, she refused to leave though."

"I'm sorry she's been dragged into this" Bex laughed and Haymitch seemed taken aback by her odd reaction

"You don't get it. It's my fault. This whole fucking reaping was a set up. I was rebellious, I said no and he took people. That's what he does"

"I know that Bex, I know that as well as you do"

"I know, but you lost everyone. I didn't I stopped rebelling to save them. Then I said one fucking thing when the victors tour came to twelve and my family get dragged back to the games. I'm the reason she's here."

"But she wasn't reaped her sister was" Bex stood angrily and started pacing the room.

"I bet you that whole jar was filled with her name. he couldn't kill Cammie because I would have stopped working for him but her little sister would have been enough of a message."

"But Cammie volunteered. That ruins his plan, if your right."

"But that throws up a new problem anyway. If we're right and he does think she's all I've got left, then why will I still be working for him?"

Bex stops and sits next to Haymitch dropping her head into her hands and massaging her temples.

"Then stop. Don't do it anymore"

"Then what if he does know, and he kills him"

"But if he did know and he did kill him he'd lose his leverage over you" They look at each other. The situation Bex was now in was delicate. One wrong move and her life would come crashing down once more.

"We can't guess what he's going to do, we can't guess what he knows"

"So, what are you going to do?"

"He can't die Haymitch. So, Snow will work out there's more he might think it's Prim or Zack. I can't risk their lives either."

"You know we can't save her, if you're right than she'll die in that arena. He'll make sure of it"

"I'm always right Haymitch" they both smile sadly. Bex leans towards the table in front of them reaching for a glass and pouring a blue liquid into it. Haymitch picks up the bottle. They sit there for a moment drinking and watching what was now district fours reaping.

The calm air was disrupted by the opening of the door and a brightly coloured loud figure walking through the door"

"Isn't this exciting we've never had a volunteer in district twelve! Haymitch must you always dress like that?" Haymitch lifted the bottle to his mouth once more as Bex groaned loudly throwing her head across the back of the sofa.

"You must work on your manners Rebecca" Bex sat bolt upright, Haymitch matched her worried.

"Never call me Rebecca" She said darkly before standing and walking towards the door.

"I'll see you on the train" She muttered as she walked out the door without looking back.

As she walked down a corridor towards the back entrance of the justice building and therefore the train station she saw Zack leaning against a wall next to the two rooms they held the tributes in to say goodbye to their families. Bex hadn't spoken to Zack in over a year she stopped unsure as what to say. Luckily, he noticed her and spoke before she could.

"Hi"

"Zack"

"her mum and sister are in there, they said I could go in after." Bex nodded at him glancing at the peacekeeper outside the door.

"Yeah same as you did for me"

He smiled

"Bex, she can't die in there" Bex looked away from him. She hadn't talked to him since before her own victory tour, talking to him now made her realise how much he meant to her. Why she couldn't let Snow win.

"I can't…"

"you can try" she nodded glancing back to the peacekeeper who was looking directly ahead but clearly listening to the conversation. Bex reached into her bra.

"What are you?" Zack questioned, but Bex was thrusting a small pin into his hand.

"Don't have pockets where am I meant to keep it."

"What is it?"

"Mockingjay pin. It was her Dad's she gave it to me as my token, she should have it for her's. give it to her." Zack nodded. The truth was that Bex hadn't let the pin go since her games, always having it hidden on her never pinned. She felt empty without it. Bex nodded back and began to walk away.

"Promise me" Bex stopped but didn't turn

"Zack, I can't"

"Promise me you'll try" Bex turned their eyes locking as they had when Cammie volunteered

"I'll try" and with that she left to get on the train.

…

"You can't do that again Mum" Cammie said loudly holding her mother's shoulders.

"You've got to be there for Prim" Rachael nodded quickly pulling her daughter into a tight embrace which Cammie slowly leaned into before pulling back out and turning to Prim. Bending to hug her tightly.

"I'll be okay Cammie" Cammie knew she would be, Zack wouldn't let any harm come to her and her first visitor Peeta's father had promised her that he would make sure Prim had food. It was a strange visit. But the old man was kind. He had given Zack a good trade that morning and had always enjoyed Cammie's meat marvelling at her aim.

"I know you will" Cammie kissed the top of her head and pulled her back.

"Maybe you could win, your quick and strong"

"Maybe" Cammie replied not wanting to get her sisters hope up of her return

"But you'll try"

"I promise" Cammie replied as the peacekeeper opened the door ushering her family out. Cammie watched until they were out of sight and the door was closed once more. Sitting down on a nearby chair she tried to ingrain the images of her sister and mother into her head fearing that it was the last time she would ever see them.

The door opened again and Zack stepped in. Cammie jumped up running into his waiting arms. They each squeezed tightly never wanting to let go.

"Listen, getting a knife should be easy but you've got to aim for a bow"

"They don't always have bows"

"Then make one"

"They don't always have wood"

"Cammie, you've got to try."

"Of course, I will, but it's not that easy Zack"

"I know" he said pulling away "Look I won't be able to hunt as much soon I'm going to have to work. I'll help them though, if I have to"

"Don't let Prim take tesserae"

"I won't Cam, but you've got to try. listen to Bex"

"Zack, I don't think Bex cares anymore" Zack opened his palm revealing the small gold pin

"She told me to give you this." And in that moment Cammie knew that Bex would try and if Bex was going to try maybe this wasn't the end.

"I promise you, I will try"

"I know, just think of it as one big hunt"

"But this is different. These are people with families and…"

"Then pretend they don't. imagine it's just us in the woods"

And Zack was right and somehow it made everything worse that if they weren't people. If Cammie could imagine that they weren't people. The killing would be the easy part.


	5. Against all odds

Cammie stared up at the long white train that stretched out in front of the Justice Building. But before she could fully take it in, Macey was ushering her and Peeta onto the train. The inside of the train matched the outside. Spacious white rooms spread down the length of the train. Macey lead Peeta and Cammie into the first room a dining room with a long white table and matching chairs already holding plenty of food. The room was bigger than Cammie's whole house, with a table holding more food than she could even imagine, the look of shock on Peeta's face showed Cammie that he felt the same.

"Sit down, sit down" Macey ushered them. As she took a seat at the head of the table followed by Cammie and Peeta who sat opposite each other. A brief moment later Haymitch and Bex entered. Cammie went to stand to go to Bex but she instantly saw that her friend was drunk and her heart sank. But Cammie couldn't ponder on it to long as the train started moving and she was glad she was sitting as the train felt like it flew out of the station. The motion sent Bex onto the ground where she rolled hysterically laughing. Haymitch still managing to remain upright but also laughing loudly at Bex. Cammie was avidly ignoring what was happening at the front of the room whilst Peeta watched open mouth. Macey on the other hand straitened in her seat and coughed loudly. Bex and Haymitch stopped laughing for a moment looking at the table, but the look on Macey's face set them both off again, regardless Haymitch pulled Bex up and they both managed to sit at the table without another incident. Haymitch reached across Cammie pilling chicken onto his plate.

"Well then, we may as well start" Macey exclaimed as she put rice onto her plate. Cammie watched them all unsure where to start, Haymitch's plate was full of chicken and what Cammie assumed were potatoes but fried. Macey had selected a different meat Cammie didn't recognise with rice and a yellow sauce. Peeta was selected a little of everything whilst Bex's plate was left empty but her wine glass was full. Cammie decided to copy Peeta and took a little of everything she thought looked nice.

"At least you two have decent manors" Macey said as they finished their first course. "The last pair ate with their hands like savages. It upset my digestion" Bex snorted into her wine which quickly lead to Haymitch laughing with her again. Cammie was annoyed by Macey's comment proud of the fact that although her family didn't have much, her parents gave her everything they could, including manors. Which Cammie ignored as she wiped her hands on the table cloth. Macey purses her lips sighing through her nose.

"See spunk" Haymitch said still laughing, Bex had finally reached for some food a small bread roll and started to butter it but stopped and stared at Cammie.

"No, fire" She smiled "She's explosive like fire and he's calm like water" Bex made no sense to anybody but herself but she seemed pleased with the analogy so Cammie didn't say anything. Although there was no way she would take 'fire' as a compliment.

Macey lead Cammie and Peeta away from the table and into the sitting. Their two mentors were still drinking and laughing.

All watching the reaping's achieved was filling Cammie with fear. A huge boy from two, a redhead from 5, a crippled boy from 10 and the worst a 12-year-old in 11. Cammie watched Prims name was called, her screaming and volunteering, Zack taking her sister away. She saw Bex's face drop and watched her leave the stage, Haymitch falling off. The commentators enjoy this. Talking avidly about Cammie's volunteering and Bex's departure laughing at Haymitch. What they don't talk about is the salute district 12 gave. They didn't have words to describe what they witnessed. Peeta's name was called the commentators were shown ending the recap. As Haymitch fell of the stage as they replayed the clip at the end of the programme Macey made a noise of despair.

"Your mentors need to know how to present themselves"

"He was drunk" Peeta countered "He's drunk every year, so's she now"

"Every day" Cammie added smiling as she realised it annoyed Macey

"It's funny you find your mentors amusing considering they are your lifeline in these games." And as if to prove a point Haymitch staggered in the room

"We miss the recap?" He asked and promptly vomited on the floor

"Laugh away" Macey muttered disgusted as she tiptoed around the vomit and lead Cammie and Peeta down a corridor to their rooms. As Cammie entered her room she felt that the words suite better suited the room. A spacious bright room with a large bed under the window opposite sat a TV screen the same as in the sitting room. Next to the bed was a Black screen full of options that allowed you to call a capital employee, beside that a door leading to a bathroom and then a wardrobe. Cammie opened the curtains slightly watching the black blur out of the window.

Cammie had never been on a machine before. She had seen the cars that the officials and the mayor used sometimes, and had heard stories of motorised carts that the minors used bellow the ground. But she was certain that the carts were nothing like this train. The stories of the carts had seemed magically when Cammie was a small girl, but now they seemed dangerous and Cammie often thought of Zack travelling under the ground in the same carts as their fathers once had. He would start work in the coming days now that he was 18.

Cammie walked towards her closet pulling out what seemed like the most comfortable clothes, she laid them on the bed and started to take of her blue dress and dropped it on the floor. As it hit the ground she heard a slight thump. Unsure as to what had caused the noise she picked up the dress where pinned to the breast was the small gold mocking jay pin. She pulled it away from the fabric of the dress weighing the gold in her hand. The pin was slightly scuffed on one edge from the day her Father was killed in the mine. It was all that was left. His body, as well as Zack's father and many others, was vaporised in the fire. The pin had been passed down the Morgan family being handed to the next son the day they first entered the mine, Mathew having not had a son, with two daughters who wouldn't work in the mines, told Cammie that he would give her the pin on her eighteenth birthday, she got the pin before she was twelve. When Bex had been selected less than four years later it felt right that Bex was given the pin. Mocking jays had been a mistake made by the capital, but they had thrived and filled the woods outside the district twelve border with song. They were a sign of hope. Their ability to exist and sing when the capital had once fought to destroy them meant that the same could go for those citizens living outside the capital. She was grateful that Bex had returned it for her own games. In a capital that was trying to kill them she could thrive, against all odds.

…

Bex walked away from her room holding a bag and a needle tightly in her hand. She was heading to the kitchen when she heard a voice behind her.

"Where are you going?" She jumped as she heard Haymitch

"Kitchen"

"Why?"

"Need a flame"

"Why don't you use Cameron? She's fire right" Bex ignored him and carried on walking along the train

"You shouldn't" Bex turned around sharply

"what are you going to do, throw up on me?" Bex walked again entering the kitchen instructing the avoxe's to leaves as she turned the gas on and lit the hob, ignoring Haymitch as she searched for a metal spoon.

"Bex"

"Fuck off"

He watched her preparing the drug for a moment longer before turning and leaving. Bex looked up to where he had been, she sighed sadly as she plunged the needle into her arm, throwing away the evidence of what she had done and staggering back to her room where she collapsed in bed.

The train fell silent.

…

Cammie lay in bed listening to the silence as she felt the train stop, she stood looking out at the platform where the train was refuelling. Wondering what district they had stopped in. It was now the dead of night. Like Cammie Peeta was awake and looking out at the platform. He put down his inability to sleep to the soft bed. 16 years on a hard mattress left the soft bed feeling suffocating. Slowing the train started moving again they both watched the dark land they passed. Peeta decided it must be district 7 due to the dense forest they were riding past. Suddenly the train jolted back to a high speed. Both the tributes jumped as a loud shriek echoed through the train.

Cammie and Peeta opened their doors almost in synch, staring at each other until the door next to them burst open, a half dressed Haymitch hurrying out. He went to the door in front of them before noticing their presence and turning back.

"That was just the train" He said as if he knew he couldn't come up with a better lie. That room clearly contained either Bex or Macey and they both knew Haymitch wouldn't be rushing for Macey. A loud bang came from the room behind Haymitch.

"Go to bed" Haymitch said quickly before opening the door and disappearing inside. Cammie and Peeta looked at each other again before turning back into their rooms but staying near their doors to hear what was happening.

Bex was sitting on the floor where she had fallen out of her bed at the climax of her nightmare. Her knees were bent and her elbows rested on them her hands running through her hair as she breathed quickly and deeply. The table next to her bed laying on its side. Haymitch walked quickly up to her, grabbing her hands where her nails were scratching her head. She lurched back staring at him with wild eyes.

"Get out" She whispered darkly

"What happened?" Haymitch asked quietly Bex shifted further back to the wall

"Get out" she was louder this time but Haymitch ignored her again reaching to her. She stood shakily and walked wide past him and out of the room. Haymitch sighed and followed her.

"Fuck of Haymitch" she yelled as she entered the dining room

"Bex, you need…" Haymitch started but a glass smashed against the wall next to him causing him to duck. Before he could speak again a metal chair hit the other side of the door denting it.

"Fine, destroy things, but don't come to me if you get hurt" And with that he left. Bex hurled a vase at the closed door with a scream, continuing to hurl chairs and other objects around the room before sinking into the mess clutching a bottle of alcohol, crying heavily.

Haymitch sat on his bed listening to the sounds coming from the dining room waiting for them to stop. He waited for Bex to get all the anger out before he dared go near her again. He had seen the aftermath of an episode in her house enough times. Ten minutes after the noise had stopped he stood and went back into the dining room. It was a mess, the table thrown over chairs against walls and broken glass covering the floor. Bex was against the back wall curled in on her-self clutching a half empty vodka bottle. Her shoulders were shaking. Haymitch crouched in front of her noting the cuts from the glass on her bare legs. He tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up quickly her eyes red, she stared at Haymitch and shook her head.

"You can't stay here Bex" He muttered but she didn't move. And then he realised what had made that night so bad. After her games, a capital doctor said that her nightmares were a result of stress and trauma and prescribed her pills, but Bex didn't like them and self-medicated instead. This had destroyed her, if Cammie did survive her games she wouldn't be the same girl who went in. Bex had lost Cammie already. Haymitch lifted her to her feet and half carried her into her bedroom. Laying her on her bed where she curled into the sheets. Haymitch went and sat on the small sofa in the room instead of leaving. This moment was everything that was wrong with the capital. Twenty-three people died in the hunger games but nobody won. Somebody survived and sometimes they barely did that. Bex was seventeen, she should be in school going home to her parents at the end of the day. But the closest Bex had to parents was Haymitch. Which he felt was a poor substitute, as he could barely look after himself.

Something had to change. For years a group of victors had met secretly talking of rebellion. Cammie's volunteering and district twelves solute would cause a stir in the capital. Weather Cammie would be enough he didn't know, but he was damn sure he was going to try. And with that he picked up the vodka bottle Bex had been clutching and emptied it down the bathroom sink.


	6. How to Survive

Early the next morning Macey ushered Peeta and Cammie into the dining room for breakfast. Squeaking on about how important the day was. Cammie and Peeta ignored her. Last night had been hard, homesickness mixed with unfamiliarity and 20 minutes of screams and crashes had made sleep hard to find. Peeta sat in a chair, the same as the night before but promptly stood up looking at the chair which had been dented pushing the metal into Peeta's back as he sat on the chair. Peeta put it a-side and slid into the next chair.

"urgh, victors. I was promised a promotion to nine last year I hear it's calmer." Peeta and Cammie shared a look of amusement taking in the large array of food before them. Again, unsure as what to take Cammie settled on an apple taking a large bite as the door opened again. Haymitch's body was facing the room but his head was turned talking to Bex behind him, to quietly to for the rest of the room to hear. Haymitch looked up at the room and walked in quickly followed by Bex each of them taking a seat. Bex ignoring the dent as she sat in the chair Peeta had left. Macey angled herself towards Peeta and started telling him about all the amazing things the capital has to offer. Peeta looked at Cammie as if asking for help but she laughed.

"Hey" Bex whispered across the table. Cammie looked up, this was the first time in two years that Bex had started a conversation.

"Try this" She said grabbing a mug and filling it with a brown liquid from a pitcher. She passed it to Cammie but before she could drink it Bex stopped her.

"Wait, grab a sweet bread, and do this" Bex demonstrated pouring herself a cup and ripping a small roll in half dunking it into the drink before eating it smiling. Cammie copied. The liquid was hot and sweet, the bread was sweet but in a different way that Cammie couldn't place, whatever it was she liked it.

"It's my favourite, the drinks called hot chocolate. Keeping chocolate in the capital is the worst thing they have ever done to the districts." Bex laughed and Cammie copied. Cammie reached for another roll as Haymitch passed Bex a cup of coffee. Bex accepting it gratefully. Her smile causing him to return one.

"Well this is a lot more civilised than last night" Macey exclaimed

"Was that meant to be insulting?" Bex asked still smiling. Haymitch laughed and Peeta followed. If you ignored where the train was heading and forgot about the hunger games for a moment, it was the best meal Cammie had ever had, plenty of food, smiling and laughing. But of course, the Capital was drawing closer and conversations had to head towards the battle approaching.

"Today will be simple enough" Haymitch started. "We should arrive in the capital in a couple of hours then your stylist will have to till the evening where you will be lead to the parade." Simple Cammie thought. Arriving in the capital to be dressed by Capital citizens to be paraded in front of the capital doesn't sound simple.

"It may sound like a lot but all you need to do is exactly what you are told, sit, stand, wave. Do whatever they say and the day will be simple" Bex added noting the discomfort on the two tributes faces.

"Today is about how you present yourselves. If the capital rule you out now it will be difficult to get sponsors later on." Macey added. Cammie wondered if they had rehearsed that speech before. It sounded planned. But then she realised that they just knew a lot more about what was happening then she or Peeta did. She had seen the parade every year with the rest of her district gathered in front of the large screen in the centre. It was compulsory, but by the time district twelve came out Cammie had normally lost focus or sneaked away.

"It never ceases to amaze me what those stylists create for this district as they have so little to go on." Macey exclaims to the room. Bex scoffed in return

"they are always dressed as coal or minors what's amazing about that"

"If I remember correctly your outfit caused quite a stir"

"Yeah, if you can even call it an outfit" Haymitch laughed at Bex as she grimaced.

"District twelve are getting a new stylist this year. I'm sure that they can work wonders with the stimuli" Cammie was half tempted to ask Bex what she had worn but the look on her face dissuaded her.

"This morning you should relax, enjoy the benefits this train offers, yesterday was a long day and today will not be any shorter. You must be still be tired from the dramatics of yesterday and the disturbance last night" Macey stared at Bex accusingly, a glare Bex returned. "At least the training centre rooms are soundproofed" Macey huffed and promptly left.

"She is so bloody rude" Bex muttered pouring herself another cup of coffee. Haymitch pulled a flask out of his pocket and tipped some into the juice he had poured, Bex watched him before pulling the flask away from him and drinking it strait. From the smell, it was a sort of alcohol. Alcohol was hard to come by in district twelve and out of the question for families of the miners, But Cammie knew what it did to the people that drunk it. She had grown up watching Haymitch stumble and fall around the stage and had repeatedly been on the receiving end of Bex's nonsense slurred speech. She knew it wasn't good to be drinking with breakfast.

"So you're meant to give us advice" Haymitch looked at her properly for the first time.

"Here's some advice, stay alive." Cammie shares a look with Peeta, he had a hardness in his eyes.

"That's very funny" He said before leaning across the table and knocking the alcohol filled glass of the table, spilling across the floor.

"Only not to us" Haymitch considers this before punching Peeta in the jaw, knocking him to the floor. When he reaches to Bex to retrieve his flask Cammie lands a knife in between his fingers leaning her face into his. Bex who has been watching with a bored expression takes another sip from the flask before intervening before Cammie or Haymitch could do anything more.

"Can this wait till lunch, Macey said relax and for once I'd like to take her advice" But Peeta now back on his feet grabbed the flask from her hand and threw it to the floor, the clear alcohol mixing with the red of the juice.

"Nice reflexes" Peeta spat at her

"Yeah, want me to test yours" There was silence as the tension between the tributes and victors grew.

"Thought so" Bex laughed before taking her seat. Haymitch pulled the knife from the table and laid it flat copying Bex by taking his chair. The others reluctantly followed.

"can you hit anything with that knife besides the table" Haymitch asked Cammie who promptly picked up the knife and threw it so that it landed deep into the wall.

"No, no this is fun and everything but you two have got to face facts. In seventy-three years one thousand six hundred and seventy-nine children have died in the hunger games, one hundred and forty-three of them were from district twelve. One hundred and forty-three died, three survived. Whatever Macey tells you the odds aren't in your favour." Bex paused letting the words sink in.

"And if you want to look at odds District twelve won the twenty ninth, the fiftieth, and the seventy third hunger games. We aren't due to win for at least another twenty-five years."

"Since when did you follow the rules?" Cammie threw at Bex. The mentor was supposed to be leading them to a victory, not telling them why they wouldn't win.

"What makes you think you can beat those odds?" Bex countered.

"Cameron could win, she hunts. I've seen her game, hit right through the eye every time" Cammie wondered how Peeta knew this, before remembering Peeta's fathers visit and the bread she had eaten the previous morning, Peeta would have eaten her meat.

"Peeta's strong, I've seen him lifting sacks of flour day after day"

"The chances of their being a bow in the arena are slim to none, and unless you are going to rip the heads off your enemies Peeta, strength is redundant." Haymitch countered.

"Why are arguing about this your meant to be helping us" Peeta shouted back

"Shooting a person in the face is not the same as a rabbit. And any sensible tribute wouldn't let you close enough to touch them." Bex started laughing "More people die from infection, starvation, dehydration or capital involvement than actual murder. This isn't just a battle, it's a game of survival."

"Then teach us how to survive"

…

Bex and Haymitch sat at a small table next to a window talking avidly, whilst watching the lake that they we're currently crossing.

"It worked"

"I don't know Haymitch, you were a little harsh"

"You threatened Peeta"

"You punched him" Both the victors laughed. Their plan that morning had worked. They needed to bring the two headstrong victors down a peg or two before they would be able to train them. Now they had two eager teenagers waiting for instruction.

"You really think they can win?" The question was rhetorical he already knew Bex's answer he just needed to hear it again. To be sure.

"Haymitch, do you remember my games at all?"

"A bit"

"Did you never think it was weird that the rich kid from twelve could throw a knife with perfect accuracy" Haymitch didn't respond, it was something he hadn't thought about but now that Bex said it, it made no sense.

"I met Cammie when I was thirteen, her dad died and her family couldn't afford to eat, so she started hunting in the forests outside the border to survive. Her friend Zack started coming with her to do the same, they'd been doing it for about a year when I ran into them" Bex paused for a moment this wasn't a story she had told before.

"My mum had… died, my dad was always working, my sister was crying incessantly, I was wondering around the district and I found this gap in the fence. I think the first time, when I went through I was planning to run away, fuck knows where. Any way I'd been walking for a while when I found this lake. It was so blue and" Bex stopped again trying to not get lost in the thought of what her life had once been, Haymitch nodded to her to continue. "I just sat on the edge staring at it, I must have been there for hours, and I heard voices I knew they were close I couldn't hide. I thought it was peacekeepers, I almost jumped in the lake to avoid them but I couldn't swim."

"but it wasn't peacekeepers?" Haymitch asked already knowing who the voices must of belonged to.

"No, it was Cammie and Zack. She had this bow and arrow pointed straight at my face, I'd backed into the water but I couldn't go anywhere. I was terrified, But Zack, he laughed. He just stood there laughing. After that we kind of left each other alone for a while. I never asked them what they were doing, and they ignored me. I went back to that lake nearly every day. At some point we started talking, then one Saturday Zack taught me how to swim. And suddenly we were friends. My Dad hated it but didn't do anything, he knew he couldn't. I never needed to hunt but Cam taught me how to use a knife, then Zack taught me how to throw it. I got pretty good. It got me through my games till I realised I was better with a Scythe or a mace. I wouldn't have lasted five minutes if I hadn't met Cam. Which means she's a damn sight better than I am, and I won." Haymitch thought about this. Bex was certainly skilled with knifes but even she wouldn't have achieved the shot Cameron had that morning, but the games weren't all about natural talent or district seven would win every year.

"But is she brutal enough"

"No, but she's got too big of a reason to come back. She'll fight Haymitch."

Haymitch nodded and left heading towards his room. Bex took a sip of her drink and watched the waves crash against the edge of the bridge they were crossing.

"District ten, not long now. Just seven to go" Bex whispered, the closer they got to the capital, the more on edge she felt.

"I thought we went through district seven last night?" Cammie asked as she walked in the room, Bex looked up and smiled as Cammie took the chair Haymitch had left.

"No, we refuelled in district eleven. In the dark, their crops look like tree's, district seven's right next to the capital. The numbering system doesn't relate so much to location. We've already passed district six."

"That's confusing."

"That's why they don't teach it in schools, that and the capital don't think you need to know. You'll get the hang of it if you need to." Bex took another sip of her drink.

"You're still drinking" Cammie asked. The mentor had promised to help them both, but she hadn't stopped drinking and Cammie assumed Haymitch was the same.

"Yes, and we will continue to drink, for the duration of the games"

"But you both said you would mentor us properly"

"And we will" Bex thought for a moment

"This stuff alcohol it's not good, we drink it for a reason you needn't concern yourself with, but it gets in your system, and once it's there your body starts to rely on it starts to function on it. If you take it away…"

"The body stops functioning"

"Exactly, and then we wouldn't be any help at all. Stop worrying Cam, today relax, all you need to worry about is smiling. Save the stress for tomorrow." Cammie smiled. She knew this Bex wasn't the one that she had grown up with, but this Bex was as close as she was going to get, and it was the closest she had gotten it two years.

"Do you like coming to the capital" Bex frowned at the question

"Why the bloody hell would I like coming to the capital"

"Sorry" Cammie said quickly "I just thought you would see your Dad and sister" Bex looked out the window and took another drink from her glass. The excuse she had given Cammie for her family's sudden absence now felt like a massive weight in her chest.

"We are not permitted to leave without strict authorisation. I wouldn't get it to see them. They have different lives now." Bex paused looking back to Cammie.

"You know your family won't leave. It was hard for my Dad after my games and he could live there because of his work."

"He was the mayor's deputy"

"Because he made a request to stay in twelve, before that he was a peacekeeper from district two"

"So now he's a peacekeeper in the capital"

"Something like that"

"But why…"

"Cam" Bex interrupted her quickly "It happened nothing's going to change it, there is no point talking about it" and at that moment Macey appeared in the doorway announcing lunch. Cammie quickly stood to follow Macey to the dining room but turned back as Bex didn't follow.

"I'll be there in a minute" Bex smiled and watched as Cammie left, before looking back out of the window, trying to rid her head of the images of her dead father and sister that had been waiting in her house the day she returned from her victory tour.


	7. Blood Red

The residents of the train stayed seated as capital employees cleared away the late lunch. The train was getting closer Cammie could feel the Goosebumps rising the slower they got. But it wasn't just her feeling the effects of the capital, Peeta's leg was jittering up and down, Haymitch was staring intently at his glass, taping it with his fingers, whilst Bex the most discreet had clenched her jaw so tightly Cammie marvelled at how she didn't seem pained by it. Macey's smile however, seemed to be growing by the minute. Bex looked up suddenly, looking out the window, she quickly stood and left the room, muttering something about changing. Haymitch took that as his que to start talking, slightly happy knowing that Bex wouldn't interrupt him.

"In a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the station. You'll be put in the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you. But no matter what it is, don't resist,"

"What do you…?" Peeta started, but Haymitch cut him off

"They'll be time for questions later"

"But" Cammie tried

"No buts, don't resist" Haymitch interrupted again. He stood up and left the room taking a bottle with him. At that precise moment, the carriage went dark. The few internal lights kept the room from becoming pitch black. Cammie assumed that they were in the tunnel that connected the capital to the outside world. They weren't taught much geography in school but Cammie knew that the capital was built behind mountains. These mountains had protected the city from the districts in the east during the uprising. The capital, having far superior flight technology, was able to pick of the people as they climbed the mountains. It was one of the main reasons the rebellion fell and the hunger games started. Macey looked up as the light left the carriage before beckoning to Cammie and Peeta to follow her into the sitting room Bex and Cammie had spoken in earlier.

"You won't want to miss this" Macey said leading them to the window which was considerably larger in this room. Peeta walked cautiously up to the window followed by Cammie.

"Smile" Macey said to them as light burst through the room. The slow moving train gave them a perfect view of the capital in all its grandeur. Tall gleaming buildings rolled into the horizon as small cars trundled down paved streets. Passing brightly coloured oddly dressed people, there was no poverty here and Cammie quickly understood how Macey blended in perfectly. Of course, Cammie had seen the Capital on the Screen in district twelve, but the poor quality didn't do it justice. It made Cammie feel sick. People regularly starved to death in twelve but here they had money and food to throw around. The residents of the capital quickly caught on that the train was carrying victors and started pointing and waving at them. Peeta smiled and waved back but Cammie was too busy trying not to be sick. As quickly they were there, the people were once more hidden from sight as the train pulled into the station.

Macey lead Peeta and Cammie to the train doors where Bex and Haymitch were talking quietly, stopping as soon as the others appeared. Haymitch was again wearing a loose-fitting shirt and trousers whist Bex had changed into a form fitting low cut navy dress, and heels. As Bex turned to peer out of the door looking for the peacekeepers who would escort them to the training centre. Cammie caught site of the tattoo on Bex's back half revealed by the low back of the dress. A large blood red rose curled in the centre of her back, black vines travelled away, one wrapping around her waist, another spiralling further up her back disappearing into her collar bone. The other three vines were commonly visible, one ran up her neck and across her ear, the second stemmed from the first wrapped around her left arm stopping at her ring finger. The third ran down her right side reaching her ankle. The vines were thorned and made Bex look dark and dangerous. Cammie had always assumed that was why she got the tattoo. But before she could look any closer the door opened and Bex stepped out of the train quickly followed by Haymitch as a swarm of people and peacekeepers swept the tributes down some concrete steps and into the training centre.

…

Cammie stood alone in the large white room she had been left in waiting for her stylist to arrive, she hoped with some clothes as she started to feel vulnerable standing there alone. But the longer she stood there the more she told herself that she was going to end up naked in the parade, it wouldn't be the first time a district sent their tributes to the parade without appropriate clothing. District four using carefully placed nets, district seven a few precarious leaves, but worst of all district twelve naked and covered head to toe in a sparkling black dust. Coal was lumpy and the uniforms were baggy so the capital was constantly giving district twelve miniscule clothing sometimes with a headlamp. What ever happened she needed to accept that the people of Panem were going to see more of her than she wanted. She had already been marched into that room, stripped of her clothes, washed and scrubbed until she was raw, plucked and waxed until she was left with just her eyebrows, eyelashes and hair. And then scrubbed again with more lotions and potions until she was deemed satisfactory for the stylist. She had followed Haymitch's rule and hadn't complained once, even when it felt like her skin was being ripped off, or when she was pulled to her feet, and the three-people getting her ready had walked around her starring like she was a slab of meat.

Cammie was pulled out of her thoughts by a door opening. A man entered. A man seemingly untouched by the capital except for a thin line of gold eyeliner above his eyes. A man Cammie found quite attractive.

"Hi Cameron, I'm Cinna your stylist" His voice was soft, lacking the harsh qualities of the capital accent. Something about it made Cammie trust him immediately.

"So you're here to make me look pretty" Cammie quipped

"I'm here to make you make an impression" Cinna countered handing Cammie a thin white robe. Cammie hastily put it on.

"You're new" Cammie said more politely than before "That's why you've got twelve?"

"Actually I asked for twelve" Cinna replied calmly leading Cammie to a set of sofa's behind a screen on the other side of the room. The chairs where a plush soft fabric, in a deep red. Adjacent to the sofa there was a large window, practically taking up the whole wall. Cammie could see for miles, the noon sun, the buildings, the people. Food was laid on a table before them. Cammie wondered if it was normal for the capital citizens to eat more than three meals a day. Cammie didn't see why they needed to eat so often, in district twelve, as long as you had the money you ate three meals a day. A breakfast of grains or bread to give energy for the day. The biggest meal of lunch, providing energy to go on, and a dinner to ensure that they didn't go to bed hungry. That was what Cammie assumed anyway. Cammie knew that the miners ate differently instead of eating a big meal mid-day, they ate little and often. The capital ate often but it certainly wasn't little, and the miners ate often to provide them with energy without being burdened with a full stomach, the citizens of the capital didn't do physical labour so why would they need to eat so often. But that was the point, they didn't need to, they could. Whilst people in outlying districts starved to death the capital gorged on more food than they would ever need. Cammie was tempted to not eat out of principle. But then the food would have gone to waste, and sixteen years of close to starvation had lead Cammie to developing a large apatite. Her mother once said that she 'ate like she would never eat again' Cammie had responded that 'she wouldn't unless she caught it'.

Cammie looked at the food before her, the pork with the creamy sauce and fruit. She could with some difficulty re-create at home. The pork would have to be substituted for a wild boar, but even they were hard to find. The creamy sauce would work if she could save up money for the cheese and milk, or perhaps she could use Prims goat milk for the same effect. The cheese had been nice. Cammie's mind snapped back to the previous morning sitting on the hill, eating bread and cheese with Zack. Suddenly she felt close to tears. Zack who she would never see again, her mother, her sister. And now she was going to be paraded half naked around the capital for what?

"How awful we must seem" Cinna smiled watching Cammie's expression change with interest.

"My partner Portia, Peeta's stylist, and I are thinking to dress you in complimentary costumes at the moment. To reflect the flavour of your district" Cinna watched Cammie's face once more before continuing.

"We both feel that the coal miner's thing, is entirely overdone"

Cammie's thoughts flew back to the tributes that had been naked and covered in dust once more

"So we'll be coal?" Cammie asked

"No, no. Our jobs are not just to make you reflect your district, but also to make you memorable." Cinna smiled relaxing Cammie slightly. "We are focusing on the coal. But, what do you do with coal?" Cinna asked. Cammie stared at him unsure of what he was getting at.

"We burn it. You're not afraid of fire, are you Cameron" Cammie's mouth dropped for a moment. Half of her believing that this stylist was going to set her on fire. But the rational side knew that he couldn't do that, but fire, that would be memorable. She smiled

"It's Cammie"

…

Bex entered the district twelve floor of the training room, followed quickly by Haymitch, who was panting slightly although not as badly as he had been in the elevator.

"Could have slowed down" Haymitch rasped

"Could of" Bex replied slowly. She had reached the lounge area, where, as she expected, lay an envelope with her name on. She picked it up, scanned the page, before using the lighter she had stolen from the train to burn it and drop it back to the table. Haymitch watched her before realising she was about to set the table on fire and patted out the smouldering paper, following Bex who had walked to the liquor table and was selecting a bottle. Haymitch went to say something when there was a knock on the door. Bex stopped scanning the bottle and looked at Haymitch.

"Find something strong" She muttered before turning to answer the door. Haymitch scanned the table, finding a whiskey he decided would do for the occasion. Walking back to the front door he saw a tall handsome blonde-haired man standing in front of it, wrestling Bex into an embrace which she quickly relaxed into. Pulling away the man pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Scanning the page, Bex looked back up at the man.

"Snap, and we'll be home for dinner. I know I moan about the capital but they're doing me favours this year." The man laughed with Bex, who turned back to Haymitch who had a critical look in his eyes.

"You two go up, I won't be a minute" Bex said before disappearing down the hallway to her room. The two men began to walk towards a stairway leading to the roof.

"Finnick" Haymitch said in greeting

"Haymitch" Finnick returned

"How's Annie"

"Oh you know, sometimes I think she's getting there but then…" Finnick shrugs. Annie was the victor of the 70th hunger games. And part of the 'golden trio' which was a name given to Annie, Joanna Mason, and Bex as they had won back to back games. It was the first time in Hunger Games history that three women had won in a row, although that was ruined by Copper, a district two citizen who won the previous year. Annie was driven to insanity after watching her district partner murdered in front of her. She only won the games as she was the strongest swimmer in the arena.

"Is she here?" Haymitch asked. He was fond of Annie and wouldn't mind seeing her.

"Yeah, Mags is looking after her." Finnick replied as they pushed open a door "It's strange, it helps me stay calm, looking after her. But it doesn't feel like I'm looking after her, I just have to pull her back sometimes." Haymitch nodded taking a long drink from the bottle of whiskey, taking a seat next to the wall.

"Hey, Haymitch, you haven't seen Jo have you?" The golden trio may be Annie, Johanna, and Bex. But Johanna, Bex and Finnick were the trio that were often seen, and firm friends.

"No, I haven't, we only just got here" Haymitch replied

"It's weird, I saw Blight in the elevator, but no Jo" Haymitch shrugged, taking another drink from the bottle. Finnick walked away from Haymitch and to the wall overlooking the streets bellow.

"How's Bex?" Finnick asked not looking at Haymitch. Finnick and Bex grew very close, very quickly. They were both young victors, both forced into a world they weren't ready for. A world they would never be ready for. Although Finnick was six years older than Bex, he got it better than anyone else, and she got him.

"She'll tell you she's fine"

"That's why I'm asking you"

"She's either high, drunk, or throwing things ninety percent of the time." Haymitch paused wondering what to tell Finnick himself, and what to leave Bex to tell him.

"The girl tribute" Haymitch started

"The volunteer" Finnick asked and Haymitch nodded

"She's a friend of Bex's" This time Finnick nodded

"Cameron Morgan, I know. Bex called her a sister."

"Yeah, well part of her is angry again blaming herself, the other part is smiling and laughing like I've never seen her"

The door opened, shocking the men into silence. Bex entered, another woman following behind. The second woman walked past Bex and straight to Finnick throwing her arms around him happily. For a moment Haymitch felt a pang of jealousy at the three friends in front of him. Bex leaned on the wall next to him.

"You're high" He said expecting her usual your drunk reply

"At least I'm not throwing stuff right?"

"How much did your hear?"

"Not enough" Bex smiled sadly

"Jo said Chaff and Blight are on their way. She has no idea what Nuts and Volts are doing and doesn't care. And she hasn't seen anyone else" Haymitch nodded looking forward to seeing Chaff and Blight. They were good company at least.

"Was that all you told Finnick" Bex continued

"Yeah"

"Okay I'll catch him up on the way" Haymitch looked up at her

"Be careful"

"I'm always careful"

Bex smiled. Walking to the edge of the roof she caught the end of Johanna laughing about something to do with her tributes. Finnick smiling back.

"Hey, Finnick, we've got to go." Finnick looked up and nodded quickly walking towards Bex. They both waved at Jo before walking down the stairs and out towards the elevator.

"So, you think your friend can win" Finnick asked as they waited for the elevator to arrive

"Maybe, but's its more than that, hence…" Bex trailed of be careful of what she said in case someone was listening in. Finnick's eyes widened slightly.

"seriously?" But before Bex could respond the elevator arrived and three older victors got out. The five exchanged brief greetings.

"Haymitch is on the roof, save me some alcohol please." Bex threw at Chaff the last to walk away. As the elevator doors closed between them.

"Why don't you like Chaff?" Finnick asked Bex, amused.

"I have to see way to much of him and Haymitch passing a bottle around, reminiscing about the old days." Finnick laughed

"I think you're jealous Haymitch has a drinking partner aside from you" Bex made a noise of disgust

"I put up with Haymitch because he lives opposite me"

"Just admit it, you're in love with an older man" Bex flew at him hitting him, but half-heartedly.

"Fuck you" Bex yelled at him as Finnick cowered away from her hits laughing.

"okay, okay I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Finnick managed to get out. Bex stopped panting slightly

"Your disgusting" she muttered hitting him hard on the back of his head as he straightened.

"Ow" he moaned flattening his hair as the elevator came to a stop. He reached for Bex slipping an arm around her waist.

"You ready"

"does it matter" she shrugged, as they stepped out of the elevator and into the foyer teaming with the richest capital citizens.


	8. Harmless?

Cammie, now dressed in a long black dress that left only her head and arms exposed, was lead into a corridor where she saw Peeta having a similar headdress and cape fitted as she was. Cinna walked towards Flavia both of them muttering quickly to each other before leading the two tributes down a staircase into what appeared to be a stable.

"It's not real flame, of course" Cinna says as he lead Cammie and Peeta to a carriage at the back of the wooden room. "Just a little synthetic fire Portia and I came up with. You'll be perfectly safe," he says.

But Cammie wasn't convinced. Her trust in Cinna had been dwindling since he first told her of his plans to set her on fire. The cape was okay but the headdress worried her more. The hair it rested on had been brushed out by Cinna before braided back into a similar style as her mother had braided it the previous day. Her face clear of makeup except for definition for the camera's.

"I want the audience to recognize you when you're in the arena," Cinna had announced as he instructed his assistants. "Cammie, the girl on fire." It crossed Cammie's mind that Cinna's calm and normal demeanour masked a complete madman. It was a comfort to Cammie that Peeta was in exactly the same predicament as she was. It was a comfort to Cammie that Peeta was there at all. As Cammie and Peeta were helped into their coal black carriage, Cammie caught sight of Bex walking swiftly towards them, an older man with electric blue hair holding Bex to him with an arm around her waist. Cinna who had also caught sight of the young women approaching them let go of Cammie's hand as she steadied herself on the platform and walked towards Bex.

"Miss Baxter, to what do we owe the pleasure" Cinna said opening his arms to the women, who accepted the hug kissing his cheek.

"Hawk, this is Cinna district twelves new stylist" The two men shook hands.

"Hawk works in programming for the games and couldn't resist the chance to see the tributes before anybody else" Bex laughed, smiling at the man from the capital.

"Yes, it is true, I have seen the parade a million times but I have never seen the background. It is most interesting." Cinna smiled.

"I do agree sir, this is my first year experiencing the splendour that is our tributes as well."

"And you have done an amazing job Cinna" Bex smiled at him as 'Hawk' hummed in agreement, straining his eyes up the stables.

"This is Flavia, she styled Peeta here, I am sure she would be delighted to give you the tour" Cinna waved Flavia over.

"Miss Baxter here..." Hawk started looking longingly at the dangerous girl he had entered with.

"Will be waiting when you return. I'm sure we will be able to find a quiet spot for twenty minutes when you are done"

"Twenty my dear, we will only need five" And with that Hawk took Flavia's arm and began to walk up the stables marvelling at the other tributes.

"He seems nice" Cinna smirked at Bex

"five fucking minutes, is this what the world has seriously come to?"

"Nice choice of words" Bex eyed him reproachfully

"So, black, with a cape. Nice" Bex eyed the two tributes before raising an eyebrow to Cinna

"You wait till it catches fire"

"It what?" Cinna laughed as Bex stared at him shocked.

…

"What do you think about the fire" Peeta's voice snapped Cammie away from trying to lip read what was happening with the four-people next to them. She was trying to work out who the man was, that Bex had arrived with. A man with such bright hair was clearly from the capital. Cammie tore her eyes away trying to formulate an answer for a question she had only half heard. But Peeta continued before she had a chance to reply.

"You rip my off my cape, I'll rip of yours" He said with clenched teeth.

"Deal, but you're forgetting about the headpieces" Cammie looked at Peeta, who looked as nervous as she felt. "Whatever we promised Haymitch I don't think imminent death counts." She continued

"no that's next week" They both laughed but faded quickly, it felt wrong laughing about something so serious. "Where is Haymitch anyway?" Peeta asked looking over Cammie's shoulder where Cinna and Bex were talking in hushed voices.

"I don't know, but according to his alcohol intake it's probably a good idea he isn't near open flames" The both laughed again

"Yeah, someone should probably tell our other mentor to step back" They carried on laughing until they heard music starting in the distance. Cinna quickly stepped closer to the carriage followed by Bex who sent a glance up the line of coaches before approaching. Cinna watched the first two coaches disappear before he started to light their cloaks and headpieces on fire, Bex who had been giving them brief advice on staying balanced stepped back as Cammie's cloak was engulfed in flames. Cinna laughed at her before grabbing her hand and shoving it into the fire.

"See, perfectly harmless"

Bex snatched her hand back, but shared the relief that Peeta and Cammie were now feeling as they grew to enjoy the slight tickling sensation of the synthetic flames.

"Remember heads high, eyes forward" Cinna called to them, stepping away as the carriage started to follow elevens down the length of the stable. Cammie adjusted her feet slightly to stay balanced as the carriage jolted slightly and turned back to see Bex shouting something at them.

"What did she say" Cammie turned to Peeta.

"I think she said hold hands" Peeta returned holding his hand out to her which she grasped tightly, just in time for them to head out to the city. Peeta beamed as the light hit them, and waved at the large crowds. Cammie watched him for a second, before following his lead turning to the capital people. The world was full of screaming and flowers as they passed throngs of brightly coloured people. Cammie reached out to catch a flower securing a red rose in her palm, before blowing a kiss to the crowd which a hundred-people reached for. Cinna was right, nobody was going to forget the district twelve tributes. Hope filled Cammie as her smile widened. People might want to sponsor them now, some food, maybe even a bow and arrow. Finnick Odair had been gifted a trident in his games, he was district four and in a different league to Cammie because of this. But it was possible. The carriage had stopped at the back of a semi-circle with the other carriages. Under President Snows balcony, where the man was speaking loudly to the crowds. Cammie felt Peeta's hand twitch under hers, and began to release it thinking she must have cut of the circulation. But he held hers back tighter than before.

"No, don't let go of me," he said. The firelight flickering off his blue eyes. "Please. I might fall out of this thing."

"OK," Cammie said gripping his hand back as tightly as before, looking back up to President Snow, wondering why Bex had tied them so closely together, when they were going to enter an arena to kill each other.

…

Bex hurried around the corner, hoping to catch the others in time, in order to not ride the elevator alone. She had discovered that the other non-capital citizens normally found the elevator exhilarating, personally she thought it was a metal death-trap, and the claustrophobia she had experienced since her own games didn't help. Running down the last stretch to the lift Bex straightened her skirt and forced a smile on her face as she came face to face with her two tributes saying goodbye to their stylists. She faltered slightly as she caught sight of the rose still in Cammie's hand but regained her composure quickly. It was just a flower, it didn't mean anything. She walked calmly towards the others opening her arms to Cinna for the second time that night.

"Amazing job Cinna, the cameras couldn't look away" Cinna took her into his arms

"I'm surprised you had time to notice, Mr five minutes seemed very keen."

"Mr five minutes was more like Mr twenty-five minutes" Bex muttered angrily back to him before pulling away and following Macey, Cammie and Peeta into the lift, leaning against the wall and trying to keep her breathing steady as the doors shut, thanking a god she didn't believe in for Macey's constant talk allowing her to remain silent. Peeta and Cammie were also using Macey's distraction of 'outstanding presentation this year' to have a murmured conversation of their own.

"Thanks for holding on to me out there, I was shaking like a leaf"

"It didn't show"

"They wouldn't have been looking at me Cammie, flames suit you" Cammie turned away from him to hide her slight blush, telling herself again that he was going to try and kill her. He was not likeable, he was deadly. Trying to distract herself Cammie tuned into Macey who was still talking, although nobody in the small glass elevator had been listening.

"You're lucky, I know anybody who's anybody in the capital and I have been talking you up to get you sponsors. I've been mysterious. Well I've had to be as your mentors have refused to tell me anything about their plans for you" She stopped and stared hard at Bex who blatantly ignored her, watching the floors pass them across Peeta's shoulder.

"But I've done my best" Macey continued through gritted teeth. "People have reservations, you coming from twelve and all but I came up with something quite clever. If you put enough pressure on coal it turns to Pearls." Cammie stared at her open mouthed. Pearls didn't come from Coal they were found in shellfish, Macey may have meant diamonds, Cammie had heard that in district one they could turn graphite to diamonds, but they didn't mine for that in twelve. That was mined in thirteen until it's destruction, she didn't know where it came from now. Bex had turned to face the window with her back to the room, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter. Cammie's eyes meant Bex's reflection, struggling to contain her own smile as she caught sight of the tears, Bex's silent laughing had produced.

"Unfortunately, I can't get your sponsors, that's down to Haymitch." Peeta looked quickly to Bex's stilling form.

"Can't you do that as well" Peeta asked her. Bex turned to him, quickly wiping the moisture from her eyes A black line forming on her finger from the eyeliner she was wearing.

"I have my own methods, but mainly it will be Haymitch." Bex replied

"Don't worry I'll hold him at gunpoint if I have to" And with that Macey marched out of the elevator quickly followed by a relived looking Bex, who was marvelling at Macey's determination.

"Hey Bex" Cammie called as Peeta passed her entering the front door of District twelves apartment.

"Yeah?" Bex replied turning back before she entered the room

"Do you really think, then that parade alone will be enough to get a sponsor"

"It'll certainly get the ball rolling. They'll be interested in you now, your training footage, interviews and scores will determine. Along with a certain amount of Baxter charm and Haymitch's odd persuasion skills"

"But twelve never get sponsors, why would we."

"Because you stood out, and you'll be good in training. And me and Cinna will make sure you shine in that interview, and Haymitch will for once talk to sponsors, even if it is with Macey holding him at gunpoint." Cammie smiled at her mentor's belief in her but she was unsure.

"Look Cam, I got sponsors, and that was with a mentor who hardly knew how to get anything to me in the arena."

"What got you sponsors?"

"People thought I was dangerous, which they liked. I killed a lot of people in the bloodbath which got them on board. And people liked my parade outfit, almost as much as yours"

"What was it?" Cammie asked intrigued. But when she heard it. Memory's flooded back and Cammie cringed on Bex's behalf. The two tributes naked and coated in a thin black dust had been Bex and her district partner.

"yeah, remembered for the wrong reasons. Come on, you've got time to rest before Dinner. I'd take it before Macey makes you watch the reply of the parade. You'd think living it would be enough but…" She trailed of as she showed Cammie her room disappearing from the doorway as the door shut between them. Cammie looked around at the room she now stood in. If the train's bedroom had been large, this was in a league of its own. Ignoring the temptation to just lie in the plush bed until dinner, Cammie entered a door to the bathroom, and experienced a shower like she had never experienced before. But she also wasn't entirely sure that she needed to experience it at all. The panel above the shower had over one hundred buttons each producing different temperatures, pressures, potions and lotions. Steeping out of the shower a heater blow dried Cammie's body automatically, whilst touching a box instantly detangled and dried her hair letting the normally limp mousy hair, flow in waves down her shoulders.

Next to explore was the wardrobe, which asked for colour and activity before providing several options of outfits to wear. Selecting a simple flowing cream top and black trousers Cammie wondered back to the bed, sitting on the edge to watch out of the window, which she discovered would zoom in and out on different parts of the city at her command. However, over the top the capital technology seemed to Cammie, the luxury she was given now didn't come close to justifying the Hunger Games, but it was something to see before she died. But she wasn't just going to just die, if she was going down, she was going to fight." And with that thought Cammie laid back on the bed, closing her eyes awaiting her call for dinner.


	9. claustrophobia

Peeta closed the door to his room quietly, so as not to be heard, he was used to it, having to sneak around. But this time he wasn't sure where he was sneaking to. All he knew was that however big his room was, he felt like he was suffocating. Standing outside his bedroom door he leaned back against the hard wood thinking. The floor that was dedicated to district twelve seemed huge, but Macey had led him straight to the room, however much the idea of exploring intrigued him, the last thing he wanted to do was run into Macey. He closed his eyes breathing deeply. Peeta suddenly felt very isolated, he had no-where to go. He thoughts began spiralling, this was all that was left. Days of this and then death.

"you know there's a bed in that room behind you, if you wanted to sleep" A voice interrupted him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes shocked meeting the dark eyes of Bex smirking at him.

"Evening" She said as his eyes opened, her smirk drawing a slight smile out of Peeta.

"Evening" He replied.

"I thought Macey told you to relax?" Peeta stared at her as Bex burst into laughter.

"Ridiculous I know, fucking relax, and then in a couple of days we'll make you kill each other" Peeta laughed lightly with her. It was easy to forget that Bex and Haymitch had been through this before.

"It can feel really claustrophobic down here, but there is one benefit of being district twelve"

"What?" Peeta asked her confused. In his experience, they had already received more benefits than most district twelve tributes had. Bex smirked once more and beckoned Peeta to follow her. He thought about it for a second before following Bex further down the corridor. He had nowhere else to go. They rounded a corner where Bex stopped, turning abruptly to face a door, she opened it and gesturing for Peeta to go before her. Through the door was a set of concrete steps, nothing like the grandeur Peeta had experienced so far. The walls were stone and the stairs narrow but at the top sat a heavy black door. He saw a lock set into the handle and wondered if they were meant to come up there, but tried the handle tentatively slightly shocked as he was able to push the door open. Light burst into the narrow staircase. They were on the roof. The whole of the capital visible right back to the mountains they had passed through mere hours ago. Peeta walked slowly towards the edge of the roof leaning against the thick metal boundary feeling like he could breathe deeply for the first time since his name had been announced.

Bex caught the door as Peeta walked away, letting it shut heavily behind her as she followed Peeta to the edge of the roof. But before she was half way across somebody roughly grabbed her arm from behind. Instinctively she pulled her arm back, swinging at the man with her other arm. He managed to duck but fell to the floor in the process.

"Jesus Christ Haymitch" Bex muttered reaching an arm out to help him up, but he waved her arm away stumbling slightly in the process out standing up alone.

"What did you bring him up here for" Haymitch snapped at Bex walking back towards the wall of the building. Bex followed him, her arms crossed tightly across her chest as she took in the scene before her. There were four empty bottles on the ground, one smashed. Eyeing the mess, she scowled.

"Did you get much done, or just drink the whole time"

"Like you can judge"

"Yeah, I can. This shits important Haymitch"

"You don't think I know that? What would you have done if we were still meeting when you two came up here."

"I'm not stupid Haymitch, I saw Chaff in the stables after the parade. He was wasted. You been sitting up here ever since?"

"I told them what we needed to, what else did you want me to do? we're victors we drink"

"I know that, I know that as well as you do"

"No, you don't Bex. Two years is nothing compared to what I've done" Bex turned away from him quickly looking out to where Peeta stood still staring out across the roof, oblivious to the scene behind him.

"That was out of line" She threw back to him

"What?"

"Yeah you lost people, we both did. And I know you lost more, more people. But I…" She paused, biting her lip to stop herself losing it.

"You said no, and now you drink to forget, and you've drunk to forget for the last 23 years. I had to win my games on my own because you were too drunk to notice you had a tribute with a chance, you are not doing that to them. I said no, and then I said yes, and now I drink to forget what I did an hour ago, but I'll drink less if it means she'll get through this. And I know it's hard Haymitch. It's hard because you have to remember shit from your past. You drunk then so you didn't have to deal with it, and your scared that if you stop drinking you might have to face those demons. I don't get to do that, because I have to remember. Yeah your family died and I'm sorry that happened, but at least they died for a reason. However bad the reason is, you've got it. Mine died for nothing and I get reminded of that every day I'm in the damn capital."

"Then say no" Haymitch shouted, causing Peeta to turn to look at them noticing Haymitch for the first time since they had entered the roof. Bex smiled at him, Peeta taking that as a que to turn back.

"We both know I can't do that" Bex muttered staring at Peeta to ensure that he didn't hear them again.

"We still on for tonight" She continued

"Yeah, Is Finnick coming?"

"No" Bex walked up to where Peeta was. Haymitch walked away, Bex was right, to a certain extent. But truly she was out of line. He would never be able to fully understand how hard her life now was fully, but she would never fully understand him either.

"You can't jump" Bex said as she took her position next to Peeta looking over the edge. Peeta looked at her but when she didn't look back he turned to watch the cars as he had before.

"There's this force field. Look" Bex took the hair elastic keeping her hair in its slick ponytail out and threw it hard towards the sky before them. The elastic bounced back smouldering.

"Yeah capital wouldn't want tributes throwing themselves off the roof. They get to control when you die, hell they get to control everything" Peeta looked at her again, mouth wide.

"Don't worry, they can't hear us up here. It used to be off limits, but Haymitch and Chaff broke the lock years ago, nobody ever fixed it."

"You say what you want anyway" Bex looked back at him eyes slightly wide before shrugging slightly.

"Not so much now, actions have consequences"

"What's it like being a victor?" Peeta asked quickly almost as if he would change his mind if he didn't say it in one breath. Bex hesitated unsure what to tell Peeta, if she lied she felt like he'd know. He deserved the truth just how much of the truth?

"The career victors always seem really happy, but, well you and Haymitch drink all the time, and well. Is it worth it?" Peeta continued

"You already know the answer" Bex replied

"But I need to hear it" Bex turned away before replying

"You never forget. The careers are trained to kill people, it doesn't mean as much to them. You never forget their faces and sometimes you wonder if it really is worth it. If you have a life, people to go back to then fight. But the capital will control you forever, it doesn't end when your games end."

"You're not going to convince me to try and win" Bex looked at him before reaching into her dress and pulling out a cigarette and lighter, she lit the cigarette inhaling the smoke deeply. She shook her head.

"There's no point. You love her."

"I don't have anything to go back to. I have a family but, they don't need me. Not like Cammie's need her. I'll fight for her, I'll help her as far as I can. But I'll need your help to do that."

"You know you don't need to do this right?" Peeta ignored her

"I want your help making a plan, you and Haymitch. I couldn't win anyway at least she has a chance. If you don't help me, I'll do it anyway."

"We'll help you Peeta" He nodded quickly looking out to the capital once more a weird sense of relief rushing through him.

"I'll see you at dinner?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll umm, I'll talk to Haymitch after, we can start on a plan." Peeta nodded pushing away from the metal barrier walking back to his room. Bex stared out across the roof, her eyes not focusing. What Peeta was doing was going to help them get Cammie back. But watching somebody give up on their life so easily, was hard. Bex hadn't lied about never forgetting the faces of the people she had killed, but one thing made it easier. In a way, a strange messed up way, Bex felt that she had sort of saved those children, from living the life she was now stuck in. Bex threw her cigarette over the barrier watching it spark and bounce back to the roof.

"Fucking Capital."

…

By the time Macey had summoned Cammie for dinner, she had fallen asleep and was now groggily following the unnervingly upbeat escort into the large dinning space. The room spanned the width of the floor, a dining table was set near the back wall next to a door, instead of windows there was a large balcony where Bex and Cinna were talking. Further down the room to the door, threw which Macey and Cammie had just entered, sat a pair of large sofa's facing the wall where Peeta and Portia were watching a recap of the parade on a large projected screen. Haymitch was not in the room.

"Where is your other mentor?" Macey muttered before turning on her heel and leaving the room again. Cammie looked over at the very comfortable seeming Peeta and Portia lounging on the sofas, before she decided she would be more comfortable in the company of Bex and Cinna. People she trusted. But before she could even make it past the dining table, Macey appeared once again announcing dinner. Cammie quickly dropped into the chair she was closest to, as Peeta took the chair to her left, and Haymitch her right. Cammie turned to look at the two on the balcony watching Bex laugh into the glass she was holding as Cinna appeared back in the room looking pleased with himself. She assumed whatever he had said was the reason Bex was laughing. Bex was following him in when she tripped in the door way, knocking over a large vase of fake flowers, laughing harder than before she sat back on her knees. Brushing a few pieces of china out of her way she used her hands to push herself back up before noticing the table watching her. She stopped laughing

"Enjoy the show?" She asked, before taking the seat opposite Haymitch, and next to Cinna, who grabbed a white crisp napkin, which was previously in the shape of a duck, and wrapped Bex's hand in it, which she had cut breaking the vase. Bex however didn't seem to have noticed until she saw the red that had stained the table cloth, where she had originally placed her hand. As soon as they had all sat down several young people in white clothes walked out of the door next to the table carrying trays of food and drinks. Cammie accepted a glass of wine whilst the food was served before her. Small bowls of a yellow coloured soup were placed in front of each guest. This was the first time Cammie could instantly recognise something she had eaten before. Carrot soup, although this version looked creamier and lacked the garden peas she favoured, it was something that felt comforting. Peeta clearly also recognised the district twelve staple and started eating it as greedily as Haymitch. Bex however pushed hers slightly away as the stylists next to her stared at the food as if they had never seen anything like it.

"It's carrot soup" Bex explained

"It's orange" Cinna replied

"Carrots are orange, there a root vegetable that grow in district twelve. The first night they always give the tributes a 'meal from home' or at least the capital version of that."

When Cinna still didn't pick up his spoon Bex got annoyed.

"You eat some weird crap in the capital but you're scared of a vegetable soup?" Bex scoffed reaching across the table for a slice of bread. Cinna meanwhile began to eat the soup.

"It's raisin and nut bread" Peeta told her, Bex nodded biting into the still warm bread.

"It's not as good as you're Dads" She replied after finishing her mouthful. She threw the bread down and leaned back in the chair with her own glass of wine. Peeta nodded sadly before distracting himself in the soup once more. The next four courses continued like that. The people in white suits bringing out more food and taking away what was left. Wild green salad, fish stew, rare beef steak served with vegetables smothered in butter and fried potato. And finally, a cake, not dissimilar to the cakes Cammie had seen in Peeta's family's bakery, only this one was set on fire. Haymitch laughed at this.

"You're wrong Bex, they don't do this to give the tributes 'a meal from home' they do it to show them the food they could've had, if they weren't so damn poor." Cammie however was distracted from the laughing at the table. Something or rather someone had caught her eye. The girl lighting the cake in front of her seemed strangely familiar, something in her eyes or maybe her hair. The pale faced girl had red hair, and wide blue eyes she was definatly older than Cammie, older than Bex.

"Hey, I know you." Cammie said to the girl although it came out as more of an accusation. She quickly realised her mistake as the girl quickly shook her head and ran out of the room.

"Don't be silly Cameron" Macey chimed "How could you possibly know an Avox."

"What's an Avox?" Peeta asked. But as Haymitch began to tell Peeta how Avox's were criminals in the capital, Cammie felt an undeniable guilt rising inside her. And whilst the exact memory was left unfound Cammie knew it couldn't be good.

"Why didn't she talk?" Cammie asked quietly

"Because they have their tongues cut out" Bex replied as sadness flashed upon her face. Cammie went to respond alarmed that the capital did this but was interrupted by Macey

"That girl is a traitor, it isn't likely that you would know her. But even if you did know her, you cannot talk to an Avox unless you are giving them a direct order." But Cammie did know her, she was sure of it.

"I think, I umm, must have drunk to much of the wine" Cammie stammered out as she remembered where she knew the face of the girl from.

"Tina, Tina Walter's that's who it is. I thought I recognized her as well, they have the exact same hair." Tina Walters was actually a girl in their year at school. With very dark long brown hair and a much skinnier face. She was also happily writing the district 12 paper with her mother, not involved in any sort of criminal activity and there was no way she was missing her tongue as she was the schools gossip.

"Exactly it was the hair." Cammie agreed, happily jumping on Peeta's excuse.

After a brief silence Haymitch turned to Macey

"I hear you came up with something to boost the sponsors?" Haymitch seemed to have a certain charm when he wanted to, smiling in just the right way to make Macey happily gush about coal turning to pearls whilst Bex snorted in to her fifth glass of wine laughing. Cammie and Peeta shared a look as they suddenly realised why Bex wasn't allowed to talk to sponsors on her own.

As the slices of Cake were passed around Cammie was starting to feel very full, but having been deprived of food her whole life she took a piece anyway. Bex however didn't share this sentiment. She had allowed every course before her to grow cold and actively declined the cake when offered.

"You know if you're worried about your figure Rebecca, the Avoxe's can bring out a clear charcoal solution for you" At the sound of her full name Bex glowered.

"I don't think it's me who needs to worry about their figure McHenry"

"You bitch!" Macey screamed in return. Bex stood quickly as she almost flew to the head of the table where Macey was sitting, Cinna grabbed her just as she reached Macey who looked terrified. He pulled her by the arm to face him until her eyes focused on his, as soon as he did he lead her out of the room.

"I'm really surprised nobodies come up, I mean that is why the cameras are in here to protect the capital employees." Macey said indignantly. This time it was Haymitch who glowered at her, but he quickly turned and began to talk to Portia about style ideas for the rest of the games. Cammie couldn't find herself interested in the conversation and realising Peeta felt the same she turned to him.

"I've never heard anybody call Bex her full name, now I know why" Cammie muttered to him

"I'll make sure to avoid it" He smiled back. Cammie suddenly realised how easy it was to feel comfortable around him, the same way she did Cinna. Bex also seemed to share this feeling with Cinna, Cammie decided they must have met before.

"Tomorrow morning your training begins, you will meet myself and Bex for breakfast, where we will tell you exactly how to play it." This made Cammie smile. There were actual tactics, actual ideas, district 12 stood out for once and it was good, she had volunteered for the hunger games thinking she had no hope, but she would enter ready, and willing to fight. But as she turned her attention back to Haymitch the door opened distracting them all.

…

"Fucking Macey" Bex yelled as she walked down the corridor towards her room with Cinna following.

"Fucking capital" She carried on kicking the wall as she went around the corner.

"Fucking snow" Was the last as she opened the door leaving it open for Cinna to follow. Which he did watching her silently. Bex opened a draw in the cabinet next to her bed before walking to her bathroom leaving the door open and sitting on the closed toilet seat.

"Do you have to do that?" Cinna asked as he watched Bex pull out a lighter

"Fucking Cinna" she replied though quieter than before.

"Thanks" He replied sarcastically as he watched her tie a length of fabric around her arm. Looking away before anything else happened.

"You need to eat Bex" He started still looking away from the bathroom.

"I eat"

"Yeah, I hear drugs can take away your appetite, and your one bite of bread at dinner proves it" Cinna turned back to Bex who was now standing unsteadily by the sink trying to unwrap the napkin from her hand, he walked over to her taking her hand in his, carefully pulling the cloth away, revealing a small but jagged cut.

"Stop treating me like a child" She said, but the fight had gone from her voice, as Cinna helped her sit on the counter next to the sink so that he could wash the dried blood away from her hand.

"You are a child Bex" She sighed leaning her head back against the cool bathroom wall. Cinna carefully washed her wound although he knew she wouldn't feel any pain. Reaching into a cabinet below the sink he collected some tape and a bandage which he used to wrap the cut.

"She called me Rebecca" Bex said sitting up abruptly. "She called me a bitch"

"Fucking Macey" Cinna replied taping the bandage.

"Fucking Macey" Bex nodded jumping of the counter where Cinna caught her, as her unsteady legs buckled.

"Come on" He pulled her leading her back to the dining room.

"Haymitch is going to kill me" She groaned as Cinna smiled pushing the door open.

…

Haymitch turned seeing Bex and Cinna re-enter. Cinna's face was unreadable but Bex's eyes were glazed. Angrily he turned back to the two tributes.

"Go and get some sleep whilst the adults talk" Peeta went to stand but Cammie wasn't as easily moved, anything involving the hunger games, specifically her in the hunger games, she wanted to know about.

"What are you going to talk about?" She asked, folding her arms.

"adult stuff" Haymitch responded but Cammie just got annoyed.

"come-on I'm 16, Bex is only 17 and you're counting her as an adult" It was a petty argument but instead of getting angry as she had before Bex turned to Cammie.

"Yeah, but I've won the hunger games. Go to bed" Cammie opened her mouth to argue, but sensing it would be a pointless argument she let Peeta lead her out the room. Portia also took that as her que to leave, Macey stood to lead the designer out.

"Now you're standing you may as well leave too" Bex said whilst sitting back down at the table.

"I'll leave when I'm ready, thank you"

"There is actually something that I've been meaning to ask you Macey" Macey looked confused, Bex wasn't the sort of person she would usually talk to in or outside the games, and she had repeatedly belittled and annoyed her.

"I was reading earlier, and I came across something regarding you, and your father." Macey turned a little pink but covered herself.

"I'm surprised you can read Baxter" Bex's smiled, not letting herself get offended.

"If I understand correctly he was a scientist, the leading scientist in the advanced medical field, he created half of the technology we still today" Bex paused for a second, letting what she said sink in. "Initially I accepted that maybe a really intelligent father could have a less, able, daughter, but that wouldn't be right, would it Macey." Macey who had been growing redder by the second suddenly stood up and announced that she was going to bed.

"Thank you" Bex threw after her before resting her head on the table. Now that the three of them were alone Haymitch got angry.

"You let her take that stuff"

"What was I meant to do"

"Hey, I am capable of making my own decisions"

"Bad ones maybe" Haymitch threw back

"Look are we having this meeting or what" She replied

"You're a hypocrite, you yell at me for drinking during a meeting and now you do this"

"I am fully capable of being in this meeting, so are we starting" They stared at each other for a moment.

"Are you sure we can't be heard Bex?"

"Positive, we're good till morning, they barley check the bloody things"

"Good, this is the year, we have been planning this for decades and we have chosen our two most promising candidates to use."

"Yeah you messed up the year I won didn't you." Bex interrupted but Haymitch ignored her and carried on.

"This year we have a chance to change the future, make history, we can save our people."

"whoa, whoa, whoa" Bex interrupted again "Haymitch we're about to go to bed, why are you giving us a motivational speech?" Cinna looked equally as confused.

"How much wine have you drunk?"

"He's an alcoholic Cinna, at this point the quantity of wine he drinks cannot affect his sanity"

"It's strong wine" Cinna countered, slightly annoyed at Bex whose smile grew once more.

"Look Haymitch we're just catching Cinna up, and neither of us have been around long enough to have been planning this for decades, good on you though" She smirked

"I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page" Haymitch sounded exasperated as Bex and Cinna talked like he wasn't there.

"Well right now my page is telling me to go to bed, so if we can all get on that page…" Haymitch interrupted Bex.

"The training outfits are identical?" he asked Cinna

"Yes, I was thinking, later in the training, when there are more cameras, if all 4 of you dressed in similar fashions, almost matching?" Cinna sounded hesitant as he trailed out and for good reason. Bex turned to him and answered with a very firm 'no'

"Well it can definatly be discussed" Haymitch added before Bex turned to him sadly

"You have let me down Haymitch"

"Stop being so melodramatic"

The three of them clearly knew each other well, and were good friends despite differences they carried on talking and laughing well into the night, Cinna and Haymitch continuing even as Bex fell asleep at the table. Until they heard footsteps behind them. They took this as a que to go to bed, the future they were planning was only known to a select group of people, and that wasn't going to grow anytime soon.


	10. Selfish

Cammie followed Peeta down the corridor towards her room. Although she appeared calm, there was a storm raging inside her mind. The mentors in the dining area were clearly going to talk about the Hunger games, and about them. She had a right to know anything that involved her. But what annoyed Cammie even more was how calm Peeta seemed about the situation, in a matter of days they would be fighting for their lives, their own mentors were keeping secrets about that from them, and Peeta looked like he couldn't care less. But it was the thoughts of the avox that Cammie couldn't get past. Peeta seemed to pick up on Cammie's sight hesitation as she walked down the corridor.

"Been on the roof yet?"

"The roof?"

"Yeah, Bex showed me earlier, you can practically see the whole city, winds a bit loud though"

"Can we just go up?"

"Yeah, follow me"

Cammie did as he said. She had translated 'loud wind' to mean that they wouldn't be heard. Although that didn't stop her feeling a bit hesitant as she saw the narrow concrete steps they would be climbing. But Peeta's reassuring smile calmed her enough to follow him through the solid black door and out into the fresh air. Cammie breathed deeply, she realised how much she missed being outside. She felt free for a moment.

"They can't hear us" Peeta smiled at her.

"According to Bex. She said that the roof had been out of bound for years until Haymitch and Chaff, you know that victor with one arm from eleven, broke the lock off."

"Why don't the capital fix it?"

"Honestly I don't think the capital really care about what happens up here"

"What do you mean?" Cammie watched Peeta think about this for a moment. Then he took his hand and stretched it over the edge of the roof, there was a spark and he drew it back quickly.

"It's a force field, they've got the same on the balcony downstairs. We can't do anything up here, why do they need to stop us I guess."

Cammie looked out at the capital. For a moment being up the roof felt free, but they were just as trapped as they were inside.

"Do you think they put camera's up here?"

"I don't know, why?" Cammie turned to face him.

"I was just thinking about what Macey said downstairs. They have camera's everywhere, in every room. So that they can see what's happening and stop anything they don't want. So why when Bex attacked Macey didn't peacekeepers come up?" Until that moment Peeta thought he understood what was happening in the capital better than Cammie did. But he was wrong, so wrong. He looked out across the city as he replied.

"You know how those camera's work, they have to have a source of electricity. If the camera for the balcony has the same source then it would have to be near the door. Bex wasn't drunk before dinner."

"Breaking the vase was actually disabling it?"

"I think so"

"Why?"

"I don't know"

The two tributes continued to look over the capital for a while in complete silence. The anger for being kicked out the room had dissipated in Cammie. She wondered if what they were talking about was more than just the games. If that was why Bex had disabled the cameras. It was clear that Bex and Cinna were close, but how could they be so close if this was his first games?

"How did Bex get through her games being called Rebecca constantly?" Peeta suddenly wondered allowed

"Don't you remember her interview? Caesar called her Rebecca and she replied 'It's Bex, call me Rebecca again and I'll give you an early demonstration of my plan for district two" They both laughed.

"Hey, do you think we can get the whole way around the roof" Peeta asked looking to his right, Cammie shrugged and they both walked across until they were the other side of the door they had come through. Neither of them were expecting what they saw. It was a small garden, a stretch of green filled with plumes of different plants, some of them Cammie didn't know, some she was sure were native to twelve. It wasn't exactly beautiful, but it was perfect. Cammie was drawn to a plant nearest the wall.

"Katniss?" Peeta asked, Cammie nodded. In the days following Cammie's first encounter with Peeta she had begun foraging in the woods beyond the boundary. Often Katniss was the only plant she would find, it could grow even in the toughest conditions. Her father nicknamed her Katniss when she was younger, Katniss could thrive against all odds, and her father thought the same of her. He once told her 'as long as you can find yourself, you will survive'. Now that Cammie was older she realised that the line had a double meaning. Moving away from the plant she sat next to Peeta on a roughly carved bench that stood there. Questioning momentarily how it got there.

"We were hunting in the woods one day. Hidden, waiting for game," Cammie whispered. "You and Bex?"

"No my friend Zack, Suddenly all the birds stopped singing at once. Except one. As if it were giving a warning call. And then we saw her. I'm sure it was the same girl. A boy was with her. Their clothes were tattered. They had dark circles under their eyes from no sleep. They were running as if their lives depended on it, the hovercraft appeared out of nowhere, one moment the sky was empty and the next it was there. It didn't make a sound, but they saw it. A net dropped down on the girl and carried her up, fast, so fast, like the elevator. They shot some sort of spear through the boy. It was attached to a cable and they hauled him up as well. But I'm sure they had killed him. We heard the girl scream once. The boy's name, I think. Then it was gone. Vanished into thin air. And the birds began to sing again, as if nothing had happened." Cammie had never told anybody that story, and now, saying out loud, guilt seemed to burn down her spine until it filled her very core. They had hidden under a rock, barley breathed as the capital killed somebody. But was there anything they could have done anyway?

"You're shaking" Peeta said before quickly taking off his jacket and wrapping it around Cammie's shoulders before she had a chance to say no.

"They were from the capital?" He asked

"I think so"

"How did they get all the way to twelve?" He wondered.

"I don't know, but why would they want to leave? They were from the capital they had everything, they have everything!"

"Except their tongues" Peeta replied darkly, causing Cammie to shiver again. "I'd leave, go home right now if I could. But you've got to admit the food is pretty good." They laughed again. Neither could deny that dinner had been the best food that they had ever had.

"So Zack's the guy that took you're sister after the reaping?"

"Yeah, our dad's worked together and our mothers are friends."

"And you were…"

"Friends" Cammie responded quickly, although she was never actually sure about.

"Sometimes I think he's more like family though. He's always been there I mean." Cammie continued.

"I get it." Peeta paused "I think so anyway. Friends were never really my strong point, I always had to work at the shop when I wasn't at school. School seemed pointless anyway, I would work I the bakery until I died. Knowing that won't happen is the best thing about these games."

"School was pointless for all of us. Most of us would end up in the mines. If not it would be a family business. I was meant to follow in my mother's footsteps and become a healer. I think Prim will be better at that anyway."

"None of us have a choice"

"Exactly, the biggest decision I ever made was to volunteer for Prim, everything else was and will be decided for me"

"Not necessarily. You really love your sister."

"Yeah, yes I do. You have a brother?"

"Two, one's twenty, ones seventeen. It's good, when I don't come back it'll be okay because they still have my brothers to work"

"They'll miss you if you don't come back though. Sometimes it takes losing something, to realise how much it meant to you. When I was younger my parents argued a lot. My dad was working in the mines fourteen hours a day six days a week. But my Mother was working as well. When he died she fell into this depression? She didn't realise what she had until she lost it."

"I'm sorry." Cammie waved him off having heard it many times before. "My family aren't close but we still love each other. Just in our own way. It's just different for me, than my brothers."

"Why? Because you're the youngest?"

"My parents always wanted a girl"

"It's weird, people always want what they can't have. Why people can't just be grateful for what they've got. I don't think my parents ever cared, but Bex's always wanted a boy."

"You two are friends?"

"Were" Cammie cut Peeta off sharply

"Sorry"

"No, I don't know anymore. She's a perfect example, she's got everything now, but she's not grateful. Not at all" Cammie breathed deeply glancing at Peeta smiling. Together they walked down the stairs away from the freedom of the roof. Cammie marvelled at how at ease she had felt talking to Peeta. To at ease. The only person she had ever talked to like that was Zack. They reached Cammie's door first, she went to walk in but noticed Peeta still standing there.

"Are you still grateful Cammie?"

"I'm grateful for the food, and the shower, the clothes and the warmth. And the company's not too bad." She smiled

"You're right. It's not too bad at all" Peeta leant forwards and kissed Cammie lightly on the cheek.

"Goodnight Cammie" He whispered before walking to his own door. By the time Cammie had responded the door had shut behind him. Cammie sank into her own room as her head became to overwhelmed with her own thoughts.

…

Cammie was the first to arrive at breakfast the next morning. She had no way of knowing the time when she was in her room. Or what time the Avox's started to serve the food, but there was a wide spread waiting for her arrival. She started with a sweet bread and hot chocolate like the day before on the train. It wasn't long until she heard footsteps approaching behind her and inwardly cursed herself for sitting on the side of the table facing the apartment door rather than the rest of the room. Peeta sat in front of her smiling. Cammie smiled back although she was very uncomfortable after the previous evening, and had repeated the mantra 'he will try and kill you' until she had fallen asleep. Pleasantries aside they both busied themselves with food. Knowing by the tight exercise clothing that the training must start that morning, and they would need the energy for the food. It was quiet for a while until footsteps were heard again. The sharp clip clopping of the shoes a clear sign of heels. Cammie prayed that it wasn't Macey. Turing her head she instead saw Bex who looked pointedly at each of them frowned, turned, and walked back out the room. Turning back to Peeta, who shrugged, Cammie decided to ignore it and returned to the fried pork she was eating. Just as they were finishing their food, and Cammie had started to worry about the inevitable conversation that followed the footsteps began again. This time two sets of feet. Without turning Cammie knew that they belonged again to Bex, and Haymitch, who came to sit on her right-hand side. Haymitch seemingly oblivious to the stares of the two tributes, poured a cup of coffee slid it across to Bex before poured another for himself. Slowly he turned to the pair of them.

"So, first off would you like to train together or separately"

"Why would you train us separately?" Cammie asked quickly

"Encase you have any secret skills you don't want the other knowing" Cammie thought about this for a second. The only skill she had, had already been shared by Peeta.

"I have no secrets" Peeta shrugged in agreement. "You can coach us together". When Bex seemed to be surprised by this, Cammie spoke up.

"That is what you wanted right, making us hold hands, you want us as a pair. You know it would be a lot easier if you shared you plans with us, instead of having cryptic conversations whenever me and Peeta are here" This certainly got a reaction, Peeta's eyebrows raised, Haymitch laughed, and Bex choked on her coffee.

"Fair point" Haymitch laughed.

Recovering from her coughing fit, Bex spoke for the first time that morning.

"So we've got sharpshooter and strength, anything else to offer." Bex threw rather rudely.

"Peeta wrestles. He came second in our school competition last year."

"Have you ever seen anyone wrestle someone to death" Haymitch answered

"Johanna Mason" Bex shrugged as Haymitch glared darkly at her

"Does he look like Johanna to you?"

"No he is distinctly more attractive" Bex smirked before whispering something in Peeta's ear that made his cheeks turn red. Growing angrier Cammie continued attempting to ignore the way Bex rolled her eyes when she started talking.

"At least you have hand to hand combat. If I get jumped I'm dead, you just need a knife or something…"

"You won't be dead, you'll be sitting in a tree aiming your bow at anybody who even comes close. What is it they called you at school?"

"The chameleon" Bex answered quietly

"Right. They'll never even see you coming. Do you know what my mother said to me when she came to say goodbye? She said that maybe district twelve would get another victor. Only I realised that she meant you and not me."

"Of course, she meant you"

"She said 'she's a survivor that one' she is"

"Only because People helped me"

"Oh please, people will always help you" Cammie felt the heat of the argument in the air with a stab of pain from the words Peeta had just said. He had said it with such disgust. But she didn't need help this time, especially not his.

"She has no idea the effect she has on people" Peeta muttered darkly

"Well if she did, the appeal would vanish and we wouldn't be getting anyone sponsors. We're late." Bex diffused the tension as quickly as it had begun

"Right." Haymitch began who had been watching the argument with vague interest. "No massive displays of strength from Peeta and no marksmanship from Cammie. Both of you look at edible foods, traps, fire, maybe even play around with a few weapons, just don't show your strengths, save that for the game makers. Most importantly. Stick together!" And that was it. All the words they would be getting before they spent the day with twenty people who would shortly be trying very hard to kill each of them. But as Cammie walked back to her room waiting until Macey would summon them some half an hour later, she wondered what else he could have said.

 **…**

Bex leaned back in her chair, staring at Haymitch who was staring at the door as if he could see through it.

"Chameleon?"

"Yeah, reportedly her classmates adopted the name after a nature lesson. Cammie had a tendency to disappear when it suited her. **"**

"That will come in handy"

"Yeah" Bex paused debating whether Haymitch would answer the question that had been plaguing her mind since breakfast. "Why are you letting them get coached together?"

"Why are you?" Haymitch threw back, finally looking at her.

"We both know I have no say in any of this. She won't listen to me."

"She trusts you"

"She just thinks she does. How long do you really think this star-crossed lover's thing is going to work?"

"Long enough"

"And how long do you think Cammie is going to go along with it?" Bex pressed

"She won't know" Bex shook her head at the answer

"She'll work it out Haymitch, and I'm not taking the fall for it"

"I never asked you to" Bex shrank away slightly at his answer

"I'm late" Bex said after a pause

"Are you seeing Seneca Crane today?" Haymitch interrupted before Bex could stand. She blanched.

"How do you…?"

"You saw him last year?"

"Yes, we're having lunch"

"You could get us valuable information Bex"

There was a pause, both victors having been pushed out of there comfort zones. Both growing angrier by the second

"no, I can't"

"for the…"

"Yes, I know what for Haymitch. If he worked out what I was doing he would have me hung regardless of whether I was a victor or not."

"You have to earn his trust"

"I don't earn trust"

"Well you better learn" Haymitch shouted as there was a knock on the door. Bex turned to face it.

"One minute" She grabbed a napkin from the table and a pen from the coffee stand she walked to. She scribbled on it quickly before disappearing down the corridor. As she remerged the door opened revealing Finnick Odair who scanned the room clearly sensing the tension yet again resting there. Bex hurried when she saw him, glaring at him for intruding, as she used her hand against his chest to push him out of the room she turned back to Haymitch.

"I'll try" she murmured, shutting the door hastily behind her as Finnick loudly asked what Bex was going to try.

Haymitch slowly placed his head in his hands. Arguing was never something he could stand, He had started enough of them in his life to know they were never worth it. Yet something about Bex made him so angry sometimes. He retrieved the flask from his pocket, downing the contents straight. Life seemed so much easier when he had been the only victor, when he didn't care about his tributes. But this time it wasn't about him. As Macey and her garishly pink hair entered the dining room he tipped his flask upside down in his mouth draining the last drops before walking back to his bed, deciding to stay there until the tributes returned in the evening. The sponsors could wait another day.


End file.
